A PRISONS officer was caught red-handed smuggling a cellphone to a prisoner at the Maximum Security Prison (MSP), Arouca, two Fridays ago.

The prisoner was arrested in connection with a major drug bust.

Sources at the prison told TnT Mirror: “The senior prisons officer was carrying a box of Kentucky Fried Chicken for the prisoner when the cellphone in the box suddenly started ringing.

“The situation created quite a stir in the prison, but the officer claimed he did not know there was a cellphone in the box,” said a source.

“He was so ashamed since other officers had seen what had taken place that he even started to cry, insisting he was not guilty of any wrongdoing.

“But if he did not know the cell was in the box, then that is dereliction of duty because the least he should have done was to search the box.

“After all, how big is a box of KFC?

“So on any count he is guilty of an offence.”

TnT Mirror was told: “The worse part of the incident is that it happened soon after a seminar for senior officers titled Ethical Behaviour and Pathways To Success.

“So the senior officer had just come out of this seminar on ethics and there he was carrying a cellphone in a box of chicken and chips for a prisoner.

“Maybe we are wasting our time spending money on these seminars.”