Transfer of prisoners delayed

THERE are 100 prisoners at the Lae Central Police Station which police are unable to transfer them to Buimo Prison because of the Covid-19 restrictions and protocols, an official says.
Lae Met Supt Chief Supt Chris Kunyanban said Buimo correctional facility required all incoming prisoners be quarantined and cleared before admission.
“Under the restrictions, Buimo only allows for 15 prisoners to go there at any one time at a space of 14 days,” he said.
“While the Covid-19 is prolonging convicted prisoners’ stay here at the Lae Central Police Station, the number of prisoners are increasing and it is crowded affecting the health of some prisoners and we had to transport them to Angau Memorial Hospital.”
Chief Supt Kunyanban said on Oct 27, a 45-year-old prisoner became sick and was brought to Angau Memorial Hospital but died two days later.
He said the man was charged with consuming homebrew and allowed a court bail of K500 but could not pay it and had been detained since mid September.
“Reports and investigations into the death have been compiled,” Chief Insp Kunyanban
“Yesterday (Monday), the body of the deceased prisoner was sent over for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.”
He said once the cause of the death was identified, police would be able to decide what course of action to take regarding the investigation.
Meanwhile, a relative of the deceased claimed that his attempts to pay the bail to release deceased from police custody was unsuccessful.