Hela re-opens Hawa jail in Tari

By JAMES GUMUNO
THE people of Tari and Hela celebrated the 43rd independence anniversary with the re-opening of the Hawa jail outside Tari town.
Governor Philip Undialu opened the jail on Sunday in the presence of administrator William Baundo, police commander Chief Superintendent Martin Lakari, Correctional Service officers and the general public. The re-opening was a major relief for the police and other law and justice sector departments in the province after Beiubi and Baisu jails in Southern Highlands and Western Highlands refused to accommodate remandees from Hela.
Lakari said the prolonged closure of the jail badly affected police and other law and justice sector departments in the province.
He said when one or two agencies of the law and justice sector did not function, it affected the entire organisation for some time.
“I want to thank Governor Undialu, the administrator and the landowners for their partnership to re-open the jail which was closed for 20 years,” Lakarri said.
He also thanked the minister for Correctional Services and his commissioner for their input into the re-opening.
Lakari said the Tari police cell was overcrowded with offenders because the district court could not hear their cases.
He said opening of the jail would greatly help police and courts process the offenders.
Undialu said law and order was one of his top priorities.
He said when there were law and order problems, he didn’t want to sit back and watch but intervene and ensure that the law and justice sector functioned.
Undialu thanked landowners for looking after the State property and paid them K200,000 for the safekeeping of the jail.
He allocated some money for the renovation of the jail compound to accommodate more prisoners in the province.
The jail has 20 officers. More are expected to join them.