Bodies illegally removed: Police

By JAMES GUMUNO

MENDI commander Chief Supt Martin Lakari says those responsible for releasing the bodies of three suspicious deaths from the Mendi Hospital mortuary can be prosecuted for interfering and obstructing police investigations.
“The bodies of the three – two women and a man – are properties of the State pending investigations.
“The hospital has no right to release the bodies for burial,” he said, adding that the hospital had deliberately concealed the evidence of police investigations by releasing the bodies.
“Since (provincial health authority chairman Dr Joseph) Birisi knows the relatives who collected/claimed the bodies, he is now in a better position to lead police to the burial site.
“We will dig up the bodies and conduct a post-mortem at the site.
“If he (Birisi) fails to help police to recover the bodies, he will face the consequence of the law for interfering and obstructing police investigations,” Chief Supt Lakari said.
He said the bodies were hard evidence that police needed in their investigation to arrest the killers who were on the run.
“Our investigation into such cases are like hitting against the brick wall,” he added. Chief Supt Lakari said police investigations were not over, “we will still get to the bottom of the murder and arrest those involving in the killings”.
“Sorcery related killings in the province are becoming prevalent and if the hospital cannot respect police investigations to arrest the suspected killers, they are encouraging more sorcery related killings.
“Any one accused of sorcery can then be killed, body left in the morgue can remove anytime, allowing the murderers to move around freely and kill more people.”
Lakari said Government institutions in the province must work together to stop sorcery-related killings and protect people who are unable to defend themselves.
“When police are trying their best to arrest murderers and the hospital give away the bodies and conceal the evidence, how will police be able make arrests and prosecute the offenders?” he asked.
He said that such mentality must stop forthwith and all stakeholders must work together to stop further killings.
Chief Supt Lakari told The National on Friday that police criminal investigation officers were conducting enquires in the hospital to find out who authorised the criminal and illegal removal of the bodies.
“Earlier reports that I receive from the hospital was that the relatives threatened the morgue keeper and removed the bodies.
“Now, we are hearing that relatives came and removed the bodies.
“Anyone who authorised or lend a hand in releasing or removing the bodies will be arrested and charged,” he added.
On Thursday in a joint statement, Birisi and provincial administrator Joseph Cajetan accused Lakari and The National for giving and reporting false and misleading information on the case, denying that the morgue keeper was not held up nor threatened as reported.
Birisi claimed that the relatives of the deceased claimed the bodies for burial.
He didn’t identify the relatives and say where they came from.
Cajetan said he had checked with the health authorities and found that there was no confrontation or threats on any hospital staff.
“This only discredits the good image and reputation of the province and that is not healthy.
“The report is false and misleading and should be retracted,” he said.
Chief Supt Lakari said Birisi and his health workers knew very well that the bodies were subjected to police investigation and were placed in the morgue.
“We were waiting for the relatives of the deceased to come forward and identify the bodies before post-mortems could be conducted.
“That is the normal procedure.
“If relatives did not identify the bodies, doctors are unable to conduct post-mortems and they have to wait until the bodies are identified,” he said.
On Tuesday, based on preliminary and earlier investigations, Chief Supt Lakari said suspected sorcery killers had raided the hospital mortuary on Jan 18 (Saturday) at 10pm and threatened the mortuary keeper to open the door, before carting away the bodies at about 3am when everyone was fast asleep.