Change remand system: Nangoi

The National Main Stories

By BRADLEY MARIORI
MOST of the escapees from the Buimo Correctional Institute in Lae are yet to be proven guilty in court but the state is taking away some of their lives, Correctional Services Minister Chris Nangoi says.
“Psychologically, an innocent remandee goes mental when he is surrounded by barbed-wire fences, knowing that he is innocent until proven guilty,” he said.
Nangoi said remandees were suffering in silence, as they awaited their trial date for months and months.
“The usual answer they get in court every time is ‘your files are not ready’.
“For the record, most prison breakouts are committed by remand detainees who are aggrieved by the fact that their cases are not processed timely by the relevant law and justice sector agencies for mention and trial.
“I am now proposing major changes to how justice should be administered.
“No remandee will be accepted into any prison without a complete court file.
“That excludes remandees for wilful murder, rape and attempted murder. Remandees will be returned to police cells until files are completed.”
Nangoi said district and committal courts should reject incomplete court files by police.
He added that the police practice of “holding charges” should stop.
“Warrant of remand must not be released to police until a completed court file is presented,” Nangoi said.
“Remandees for summary offences should be processed and closed within a month and remandees for criminal code cases should be processed and closed within three months.”
Nangoi said all major prisons (level 4) should have a court house and permanent magistrates. He said judges could do court circuits.
Nangoi said police should be made applicable to all summary offence cases as minor offenders took up space in the prisons and cost the state to feed and manage them.
“The Correctional Service has an excellent strategic and action plan to serve the prison population, its staff and administration,” Nangoi said.
“However, the recent financial and economic difficulties in the country have cut down the funding of key intervention projects in prisons.
“I’m calling on police to improve investigations and successfully convict all cases.”

7 comments

  • A big waist of human life already and system is trying to change?! – It’s late but anyway proceed with the changes.
    “Your files are not ready.” This phrase only comes from a sick society where nobody is doing their jobs, and causes people like us sweating our guts out to pay taxes to the government. Public servants wasting money here – very uncompetitive. Waste.!
    “Holding charges,” is clear corruption play here. Some officers are holding the charges because they want money, so they can destroy the charges, then put report such as – ‘lack of witness’ or ‘not enough evidence’ then they will release the accused.
    System is manipulated here.!

  • Can the Police Minister Look into these .Officer are getting bribery & awaiting money to be bump into their pockets.Some of these escapees died for small trouble cause & what about those who are sitting in the Parliament stealing from peoples pocket & doing day light robbery.Those are the people who should died

  • The actual fact is that police officers don’t know how to write reports for court proceedings….the only knowledge they have is to violently attack humans

  • Before we start pointing our fingers at the police lets look at the big picture.
    Firstly the goverment should be one to be blamed. Police man needs good office and equiptment backed by a fully equipped forensic unit with a no nonsense intelligent unit to help gather the evidence. Right now the police has gone backwards. Its not the policeman its the government. Beside court house have no magistrate’s and prolonged delay result in over crowding in prison camps.
    Most prison camps do not fit to be called a prison camp. Why blame the poor sevants of the state when its the governments responsibility to identify the problem and fix it.
    The CIS minister does not know what he is talking about.

    Tom chinau

  • When it comes to paying tax, we don’t say your tax is not ready or not complete, Come-on public servant serve diligently to avoid such errors costing life. They also paying tax indirectly, so you can be paid every fortnight.

  • Tom Chinau stop blaming the Government because the government is trying it’s best as a mother. This Police practice of holding charges is not now all around the country.The CS has excellent strategic and plans despite the good offices etc…what ever the government provide.

Comments are closed.