Prisoners walk to freedom in PNG

TWO prisoners walked to freedom early this year soon after the Kundiawa District Court sentenced them to two years’ hard labour for wilfully damaging properties.

Genai Waiya and Martin Aina from the Mogoma village in Kundiawa, Chimbu, were found guilty of wilfully and unlawfully destroying the front windscreen, side and back window and mirrors of a vehicle belonging to Paul Nime.

The court found them guilty and sentenced them to two years imprisonment with hard labour on March 28, to be served at Barawagi jail in Kerowagi district.

However, they walked mysteriously to freedom while waiting at the Kundiawa police cell to be shifted to Barawagi jail, according to complainant Nime.

He said no one at the police station raised any alarm until he inquired to confirm what he heard from community members that Waiya and Aina were free in the village.

“They walked to freedom between the court house and police cell blocks and whether they were released to Barawagi jail is a question yet to be answered,” Nime said.

He said there was fear that the two might take revenge on him and his family and called on the Chimbu provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe to investigate.

Nime called for an immediate arrest of the two.

Wampe said there were instances when prisoners at the police cell were released by corrupt officers.

He said he had not received any reports of the escape of the two prisoners but will institute an immediate internal investigation to find out how they escaped.

ONE PNG / The national