Magistrate: Jail escape unbelievable

By JIMMY KALEBE
A MAGISTRATE in Lae on Friday described the escape of two prisoners from Buimo jail as unbelievable as it was the first time for any prisoner to escape and return the same day.
Committal court Magistrate Pious Tapil said the escape of Jonathan Kalsup, 33, from Yuwo, Wewak in East Sepik, and John Simex, 29, from Orumba, Unggai in Eastern Highlands, on April 6 was a new thing.
“We all know that when prisoners escape from jail, they will not come back that day and will go into hiding,” he said.
“But for this case, the accused prisoners returned hours after they escaped.”
After assessing the evidence provided, Magistrate Tapil found that there was not enough evidence to qualify the charge – escaping from lawful custody.
The evidence provided in court stated that some women while doing laundry saw one of the accused prisoners crossing the Bumbu River at the piggery side of jail.
“This piece of evidence is hearsay from the women at the river. There is no concrete evidence,” Magistrate Tapil told the court.
While striking out their escaping charge, he told Kalsup and Simex that they would still have to serve their terms for the previous offences they had committed and were sentenced for.
The court heard that Kalsup and Simex were alleged to have escaped from Buimo jail on April 6 between 11am and noon while working at the main entrance gate of the jail.
When the warders traced the two, they noticed them removing prisoners’ uniforms left it at
the piggery section and took a different direction to Limki and Nawae.
The court was told that an hour later, when Kasup returned and Simex returned a little later, they were detained.
They were arrested on June 17 under Section 139 (1) of the Criminal Code Act, Chapter 262.