INVESTIGATION INTO INMATES WALK-OUT

By Josu KIM- FM100 News

The walk-out of 10 Bomana prison inmates on Independence Day celebrations last month as well as the one who escaped while attending to his hearing at the Waigani Courthouse are under investigations by the Bomana Correctional Service Disciplinary Board while an independent investigation is being carried by the police.

Correctional Services Commissioner Stephen Pokanis revealed this today stressing that the cases are serious in nature.

He says the CS officers who were on duty on the time of the two separate incidents are on suspension pending the outcome of the investigations.

Commissioner Pokanis says he had instructed all the CS commanding officers and the prisoners to celebrate the 44th Independence celebrations with the whole idea of getting everyone together when the incident happened.

The Acting Commanding Officer of Bomana CS has initiated the investigation which will take some time however Commissioner Pokanis says once it is done; the offenders will have to defend themselves before the Bomana Correctional Institution Disciplinary Board.

The Disciplinary Board is the mechanism by law under the Correctional Service Act that prosecution for CS officers under investigation is done.

The outcome of the prosecution will then be sent by the chairman of the Disciplinary Board which is the Commanding Officer to the CS Commissioner for deliberation.

He says they cannot just charge officers without investigations.

Commissioner Pokanis says with these two cases and for any future cases of such nature, all these will be referred to police for independent investigation.

Commissioner Pokanis further adds that there is no reason for any inmate escape incident to happen as the detainees are always under supervision by the CS officers at any place they are at.

He warned the CS Commanding and Line Officers again that such cases may warrant to dismissal if the cases are presented and the officers are found to be negligent in their duties.