Madang court frees escapee

A FATHER of two, who had escaped from jail for fear of his life, has been set free by the National Court in Madang.
Justice David Cannings freed Kawa Koroiwe, 36, saying: “I administered the allocutus, which is that the offender was given the opportunity to say what matters the court should take into account when deciding on punishment.”
Koroiwe was serving a 12-month jail term when he escaped, telling the court that his life was threatened and abused while in he was jail.
“A Sepik man had been killed and a man from his village of Yabob had been blamed.
“He feared for his life. He approached a senior correctional officer for assistance and he was placed in a detention cell for three months for his own protection.
“He came out in January 2009 but the old problems he faced were still there. He felt the only thing he could do was escape.
“It was not true that he was recaptured. His sister and other family members encouraged him to surrender, which is what he did. When he went back to jail he was again put in a detention cell for three months.”
Cannings noted that Koroiwe had pleaded guilty to escaping.
“I accept the statements made in allocutus about why he escaped, being kept in detention for long periods and the circumstances in which he came back into custody.”
The judge said Koroiwe did not have a bad record.