The first sanctions fell in Manhattan Prison. They were taken after the "serious irregularities" denounced in the wake of the death in custody on Saturday of financier Jeffrey Epstein: the director was transferred on a temporary basis and two employees were suspended.
"Today, the Minister of Justice ordered the prison authorities to temporarily transfer the director of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (...) pending the outcome of the investigation by the FBI and the Inspector General." said Tuesday, August 14 in a statement Ministry spokeswoman, Kerri Kupec.
"The prison administration also suspended two MCC officials responsible for the prison unit where Jeffrey Epstein was detained, pending the outcome of the investigations," she added, adding that "additional measures could be taken. ". The spokesperson did not identify the two suspended employees.
Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found dead around 6:30 am Saturday (August 10th) at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal prison deemed particularly safe, where he was awaiting trial for sexual assault on minors, scheduled to begin no earlier than June 2020.
Figure of the jet set
The billionaire was arrested on July 6 and charged in New York for organizing, from 2002 to 2005 at least, a network of dozens of girls, some college girls, with whom he had sex in his many properties, including Manhattan and Florida.
On Monday, Minister William Barr denounced "serious irregularities" and deficiencies "to adequately secure" the prison where had been held since early July the financier, who was long a figure in the jet set, including among his friends Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, before becoming one of the country's most prominent detainees.
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Several media said Sunday that Jeffrey Epstein was left alone in his cell while the detainees were supposed to be still two, and that the rounds scheduled every 30 minutes were not respected. The financier, who was found wounded on July 23 after apparently a first suicide attempt, did not receive any more enhanced surveillance antisuicide since July 29.
With AFP