Madang police cell under scrutiny

 By DOROTHY MARK

THE security of Jomba cell in Madang is under scrutiny because of the number of people escaping from it.

The security manager for the National Court in Madang Michael Wambun said the latest incident involved a woman who escaped from there last Saturday. Lynette Neap was arrested on a bench warrant last Saturday and was discovered missing yesterday morning when she was supposed to be brought to court.

Neap was convicted in 2009 on a charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm but had been avoiding coming to court.

Justice David Cannings issued a bench warrant for her arrest in June 2011. Wambun finally arrested her last Saturday and locked her in the cell.

She was supposed to appear before Cannings yesterday but she disappeared. The guard on duty said he did not know how she got out.

He claimed that she could have climbed onto the roof and escaped.

However the cell registry showed that she was released by an officer.  

“There are lots of escapes at Jomba cell. What’s happening to our cell security?” Wambun said.

He said the inner cell had no lock, which only cost K5.

The National Court in Madang has ordered the finance department to release K50,000 to fix all problems of the cells at Jomba and Beon jails.