Former jail boss condemns Saturday’s shooting of escapees

The National National

By LARRY ANDREW and JUNIOR UKAHA
FORMER Buimo Jail commander Samson Jaro has condemned last Saturday’s shooting of four escapees.
Jaro, who was Buimo commander from 1992 to 2011, said there had been three major breakouts over the last two years.
He said all three breakouts had taken place on a government fortnight. Jaro said these were:

  • Feb 25, 2016: 87 prisoners escaped, 12 shot dead, 15 injured and 60 still at large;
  • May 12, 2017: 77 prisoners escaped, 17 shot dead, three recaptured and 57 still at large; and,
  • July 7, 2018: 15 prisoners escaped, four shot dead, two injured and nine still at large.

He said escaping did not give authority to jail officers to shoot as these inmates had families.
Jaro said 33 prisoners having been killed over the last two years showed that proper procedures had not been followed.
“It is a management problem,” he said. “Tax payers and families want to know what is happening.
“Commissioner (Michael Waipo) or minister (Roy Biyama) must come out clear and explain to the people of Papua New Guinea on investigations and coroner’s inquests into the deaths prisoners in major escapes at Buimo.”
Meanwhile, Waipo says he is yet to get a report on the breakout in Lae.
Waipo said yesterday the escape was a concern for the CS management but he could not say anything unless he received a proper report from Buimo.
Buimo jail commander Supt Felix Namane declined to speak with meadia, saying all information regarding the breakout would come from the commissioner’s office.
“I was only made aware of the escape in the media,” Waipo said.
“I want to know what exactly happened,” he said.
“I will get to details and release a formal statement once I receive an official report from the Buimo prison commander.”