Tiensten among 17 inmates on parole

By DAPHNE WANI
SEVENTEEN prisoners, including former Government Minister and Pomio MP Paul Tiensten, have been released on parole from Bomana Prison.
Bomana prison commander Kiddy Keko told The National that the 17 prisoners included one woman who were recommended for parole by the parole board last Thursday.
Keko said Tiensten, jailed for nine years in 2014 for fraud-related charges while serving as a Cabinet minister, had been recommended for parole.
He has three more years of his sentence to serve.
Tiensten was approached for a comment on his release yesterday.
Keko said everyone had to be treated fairly.
“We treat everybody equally when they enter the gate,” he said.
“There are no high-profile prisoners once they enter our gate,” he said.
He said results of the screening process by the parole board on April 8 was handed over to the Bomana prison management last Friday.
“We released them this morning (yesterday) when the Community Based Correction signed each of them on parole,” he said.
Other prisoners recommended for parole included Clement Managaea, Danny Kase, Peter Bae, Paul  Levi, Area Moforoe, Peter Buka Kande, Henry Lake, Sahudi Sanata, David Poholi, Miaka Bruno, Joseph Wai, Jackie Nathan, Ronald Dau, Alphonse Gels, Daniel Maiyau and Mary Kove.
“When detainees become eligible for parole, they send in their application which the board considers,” Keko said.
He said the law required that prisoners could re-apply 12 months after the refusal of their first application.
“In this case, some of them re-applied including Paul Tiensten. They were considered on their second applications.”
Keko thanked the parole board for continue to consider the applications of detainees.