By ZACHERY PER, JAMES KILA and JOHN SUPA
A DOUBLE-life sentenced prison escapee returned less than 72 hours after escaping to burn down Bihute jail’s reception building near Goroka in the Eastern Highlands province, in the wee hours of last Saturday.
In what both police and prison officials describe as bizarre and sheer suicidal, the escapee braved the odds and risks by returning to the prison, despite the presence of duty warders’ and committed the most horrendous crime ever imagined in such situation.
Leo Aiyak, 45 of Kandrian, West New Britain, who was serving a double life sentence for rape and double wilful murders, dashed to freedom at around 1.30 pm last Thursday, while pretending to assist a local electrical contractor at the prison compound.
He returned in the early hours of Saturday around 3.30am and set alight the jail’s reception building that housed vital prisoner’s records and belongings including cash of a substantial amount.
The National visited the prison’s storeroom where Aiyak stole petrol then later feasted on four tins of corned beef and biscuits from the prisoner’s ration.
He later took stock of several tins of corned beef, biscuits and razor blades before making off.
Bihute prison officers immediately launched a search and combed villages near the jail that resulted in the successful apprehension of the escapee and arsonist along the banks of the Asaro River last Saturday morning.
Among the items confiscated from Aiyak’s bag were pliers, a box of match and a gas lighter that he allegedly used to set alight the building.
Upon his apprehension, Aiyak admitted that he burnt down the building by gaining access through the back fence of the prison.
A prison official said the arsonist’s admission was somewhat unrelated to any premeditated motives, except that he burnt the building out of sheer craziness akin to his previous crimes of rape and double murders.
Acting Bihute Jail commander Insp Willie Tovebae said after gaining entry into the building, Aiyak selectively retrieved all his personal belongings kept inside.
He said Aiyak also stole petrol from the storeroom, soaked a cloth and set it alight several metres from the building and made his way out.
Insp Tovebae said Aiyak already served 17 years and was considered for parole owing to his heavy involvement in rehabilitation programs, however, ironically, his burning of the building would now blacklist him for life.
Aiyak was brought to Goroka police cell and was locked up soon after Correctional Services officers apprehended him.