Senior officers warned to stop prison escapes

By LUKE KAMA
Jail commanders throughout the country will be held fully responsible for any new escapes, says acting Correctional Services (CS) Commissioner Stephen Pokanis.
The warning follows the escape of 39 prisoners from Lakiemata Jail in Kimbe. In another case of prison escape, four murderers, including three on death row, broke out of Beon Jail in Madang.
Pokanis issued the warning in no uncertain terms to jail commanders, regional commanders, assistant commissioners and senior Correctional Services officers during the opening of the 2019 annual activity and implementation plan workshop in Port Moresby yesterday.
He said it was bad to see and hear reports of prisoners escaping from prisons around the country.
“It is about time people who are responsible to guard the prisoners be held fully responsible for any new escapes,” Pokanis said.
He directed his deputy commissioner operations and regional commanders to ensure commanding officers reported cases of escapes as soon as possible.
“Days of complacency, poor monitoring of officers at work must stop now,” Pokanis said.
“Our job is to look after detainees.
“The commanding officers will be fully responsible for any escapes. They will have to report within 24 hours what happened and the actions they took to address the escape.
“Based on their report, if it means for them to be disciplined, including removing them from CS, I will not hesitate to do so and replace them with capable
people who can look after detainees.”
Pokanis said Lakiemata commander John Koilamus, who is in Port Moresby for the workshop, would return today and furnish a report to CS headquarters within 24 hours for necessary decision to be made.
He said a team from the head office headed by assistant commissioner Philip Ekar would conduct an independent investigation into the escape.