Warders shut down Baisu jail

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
CORRECTIONAL Services officers at Baisu jail in Western Highlands province shut down the prison yesterday in protest over wage rise.
The warders shut their gates to police and refused to take 40 remandees police had brought in from police cells in Mt Hagen city.
More than 100 Correctional Services officers stood down from work after noticing no 3% lump sum salary rise in their pay packets.
An officer from Baisu jail told The National that they were not happy because they did not receive their 3% lump sum salary in their last pay of the year.
Acting provincial police commander Chief Insp Ambane Kaiglo expressed concern over their refusal to accept the remandees.
Inps Kaiglo said the stand-off would hold the police operation in the province at ransom.
He said with the 40 remandees returned to the Mt Hagen police cells, they had more than the cells could hold.
“Any more trouble makers arrested would have to be held somewhere else, or released back to society.”
He said some of these remandees were facing serious charges like murder and rape.
A senior officer at Baisu jail said yesterday that the stand-down of duties would continue for an indefinite period.