The Rikers Island correction-officers slowdown that stopped the transport of prisoners to court this week was a union ploy to block one prisoner from testifying against two guards accused of beating him, The Post has learned.
Dapree Peterson, 21, was scheduled to testify against guards Kevin Gilkes, 48, and Louis Pinto, 30, in Bronx Supreme Court on Monday, but he and hundreds of other prisoners never got there as all 44 buses on Rikers were deemed inoperable at the same time.
The slowdown was at first described as a ploy to protest Bronx DA Robert Johnson's prosecution of the two guards, but a well-placed source told The Post that the plot was more nefarious — with the intent to specifically keep Peterson from testifying.
"He was supposed to testify Monday; they didn't want him to testify," the source said, calling it "witness intimidation."
Gilkes allegedly beat Peterson at Rikers while Pinto stood by in December 2011.
Sources have told The Post that correction-union chief Norman Seabrook personally ordered the slowdown.
When Peterson finally reached the Bronx court Tuesday, prosecutors made an oral motion to block defense attorneys from cross-examining him on certain issues, a Bronx DA spokesman said.
Judge George Villegas said he would consider their motion and put off the next court date until Dec. 5.
The Department of Correction transferred Peterson to the Manhattan Detention Center, better known as The Tombs, Tuesday night, a law-enforcement source said.
"[The Tombs] is the place the department likes to hide away problem inmates and inmates that have a lot of media exposure and high-profile cases to isolate them off Rikers," another law- enforcement source said.
Peterson is scheduled to appear Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court on his June arrest for allegedly slashing and robbing a subway rider.
Seabrook did not respond to a request for comment.
By Wednesday, the slowdown had all but fizzled, officials said.
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram and Rebecca Rosenberg
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