No room in prisons so court refuses to hear criminal cases

National

By JAMES GUMUNO
POLICE in Hela are having a hard time trying to process people accused of committing offences because the Tari district court will not hear police cases, says provincial police commander Chief Superintendent Martin Lakari.
In addition, the prisons at Beiubi in Southern Highlands and Baisu in Western Highlanders are full and will not accept people on remand from Hela.
Lakari told The National that the rights of people were affected, putting a lot of pressure on the police in Hela.
He said generally the law and justice sector in the Hela was not functioning. Only the police are trying their best to maintain law and order.
“We have a resident district court magistrate in Tari but he refuses to hear police cases claiming there is no jail in the province to lock up convicted prisoners,” he said.
Lakari said the Hawa jail outside Tari was closed.
“When we take offenders to Beiubi and Baisu jails, they refuse to accept them and process them in their respective district courts,” he said.
He said the two jails lacked the resources to feed and look after offenders from Hela.
Lakari said 17 people on remand kept at Baisu jail had been waiting for four months to appear in court.
“Six of them are charged with murder and wilful murder but none has appeared at the Hagen district court for mention,” he said.