Moving prisoners risky: CS

By MELYNE BAROI
CORRECTIONAL Service (CS) commissioner Stephen Pokanis says transporting of remandees to and from courts is high risk and will need proper assessment and transportation.
Pokanis said this in response to an escape incident in Alotau last Tuesday.
Five of 11 remandees in a 10-seater transporting them from Giligili prison to the courts attacked three police escorts in the vehicle with sharpened spoons, forks and butter knives and escaped.
Three of six in the vehicle were shot.
All three policemen were injured and admitted in hospital.
Pokanis said that matters concerning body search assessment would require a thorough investigation.
“These were district court prisoners and so they are administered by police to take them to district court and return them to Giligili,” he said.
“However, we do not have a proper prison van in Alotau for such high-risk activity and that has added to the inconvenience of that escape incident.
“In terms of security assessment to ensure prisoners are body-searched, this is a matter for internal investigation and deputy commissioner operations to take charge of.”
Pokanis said that even with limited resources, both police and Correctional Service performed their duties as required by law and the State.
“Even with limited resources available, police and CS keep administering justice services,” he said. “In this case, police officers used the 10-seater to do this work.”
Pokanis said that a proper investigation would determine what had happened.