Four female prisoners dash for freedom

By ZACHERY PER
FOUR female prisoners have escaped from Bihute Jail outside Goroka in Eastern Highlands.
Two of the escapees face a murder charge and were awaiting their case to be heard in the Goroka National Court.
They are Belinda Ben from Gumine, South Chimbu, and Ake Peter from Lufa district, Eastern Highlands.
The other two are serving prison terms for causing bodily harm to others. They are Lisa Kutsie from Okapa who will complete her jail term in May 2013, and Angie Andrew of Lufa who should be completing her jail term in September next year.
They made their dash for freedom during the wee hours of last Thursday when there was a power outage at the jail.
A Bihute prison officer who did not want to be named confirmed the escape and blamed the officers on duty for allowing the inmates to leave the prison.
“It’s only through pure negligence by prison warders on duty that enabled them to escape. “An investigation will be conducted and those found to be responsible will be disciplined,” he said.
The officer also blamed the long hours of power blackout for aiding the escape.
Bihute jail does not have a stand-by generator to maintain a consistent power supply.
He appealed to the public in Goroka, Kainantu and Chimbu province to be on the alert and be wary of any strange-looking females in their respective communities.
“If you see any new faces in your community, you can report it to the police or correctional officers at Bihute,” he said.
It is believed that the women walked through the main doors and gates of the female prison compound which were not locked.