Questions raised over 5yr delay in death sentence

By DAPHNE WANI
THE Public Solicitor’s Office has filed a special reference seeking the interpretation of certain constitutional questions relating to two men on death row.
The case arose from a Supreme Court decision which set aside a life sentence imposed by the National Court on Alois Erebebe and Taros Togot and imposed the death penalty instead.
Erebebe and Togot were convicted on nine counts of murder by the National Court and were jailed for 30 years with hard labour.
They unsuccessfully appealed against their sentence and conviction in the Supreme Court on May 2, 2013, which then imposed the death sentence.
Erebebe and Togot are currently at Bomana Prison.
The question refers to the provisions of the constitution relating to freedom from inhumane treatment and whether the delay of five years (2013 to 2018) was inordinate, undue and amounts to inhumane treatment.
Ramey Pariwa, representing acting Public Solicitor Leslie Mamu, said he had served the reference on the State through the Department of Justice and Attorney-General secretary.
“The death sentence has been delayed since 2013 when it was passed and justice delayed is also justice denied,” he said.
The reference seeks the high court’s opinion on the five-year delay to execute the death sentence for the prisoners.
The reference is yet to be listed for hearing.