Escapees pose risk

By GYNNIE KERO and DOROTHY MARK
THREE prisoners on death row and seven serving life sentences were among the 47 who broke out of prisons in Madang and Kimbe at the weekend, officials say.
The three on death row who escaped from Beon Prison in Madang were Winson Dos, Simon Towera and Simon Duma. They are from Gomumu in the Naho Rawa local level government of Raicoast.
Beon prison commander Andrew Polis said the fourth escapee, Sepi Yamba, was serving a life sentence for murder.
The four were among the 97 from various villages in the Naho Rawa LLG convicted of the murder of three elderly men, two children and two men at Sakiko village, located at the back of the Ramu Sugar town.
The eight on death row at Beon were Bakun Moa, Enos Aware, Imex Gaosa, Jeffery Ronny, Noguro Sua (escaped), Simon Duma, Simon Towera and Winson Dos.
Gaosa, Moa, Aware and Ronny were transferred to Bomana Prison in Port Moresby last Thursday.
Dos, Towera and Duma were to have followed them on Friday but escaped on Thursday night.
In Kimbe on Sunday morning, 43 inmates at the Lakiemata Prison on their way to church overcame prison officers and made their way out. Three escapees were shot dead.
Kimbe police station commander Senior Inspector Daniel Yangan said six of the 43 were serving life sentences. The others were all serving long jail terms.
He said five prison officers and an inmate were injured by the escapees. The injured inmate was trying to helping the officers in stopping the escapees.
Yangan said the prisoners were planning to escape on Sunday because they were armed with spoons, forks and screw drivers.
They tried to wrest a rifle from the officer on duty but failed. They then stabbed him.
He said the number of escapees on the run now was 52 – taking into account the 12 who escaped early this year and still at large.
He warned the people to take precautions and assist the police in the search for the 52. He assured anyone who provided information to police that their identities would be protected.
Yangan is requesting Assistant Police Commissioner Anton Billy to bring back to Kimbe the police mobile squad officers on duty in Manus.