Rioting inmates set fire to jail kitchen

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
PRISONERS allegedly burnt down the Boram jail kitchen and stoned a police vehicle during a riot in East Sepik, according to provincial police commander Superintendent Robert Gesa.
“The prisoners went on riot in a protest over internal issues on Thursday. I dispatched a police unit to help the prison warders contain the riot,” Gesa said yesterday.
He said he dispatched a unit after senior prison officers requested for help to quell the situation.
“We managed to quell the riot by Sunday,” Gesa said.
“When my police officers brought new remandees to the prison on Friday in the middle of the riot, they vented their frustration at us and threw stones at the police vehicle. My men withdraw and took the eight remandees and locked them up at the Viak police station cells. They later returned to help the prison guards quell the rioting prisoners.”
Gesa was however disappointed that the eight remandees had escaped from the cells on Sunday morning.
“We believe that the escape was assisted and two police officers are now being questioned over their escape,” he said.
“So far three of them have surrendered and they are cooperating in the investigation into their escape.”