Remandees fed biscuit, tea
REMANDEES placed at the Central Watch House in Honiara are fed biscuit and tea for breakfast and dinner, a coronial inquiry into a custody death was told on Thursday.
They receive no lunch, the inquiry into the death of David Saemala, 23, who died while in police custody at the Central Police station last June, heard.
Police officer in charge of the Watch House, Paul Malefoasi, revealed this yesterday when the coronial inquiry visited the cell block where Saemala died.
Asked by the coroner, Chief Magistrate John Numapo when is the feeding time, Mr Malefoasi said for breakfast it is around 8am to 9am and for dinner between 6pm to 8pm.
Mr Malefoasi also explained when a person is arrested he or she is brought to the Central Watch House where they are searched for properties.
“Police officers would then remove any properties found on them, including their shirts,” Mr Malefoasi said.
He added the suspects only left with their shorts, trousers or long pants.
“Once the statements are taken and the charges laid, the suspect is then moved from the common room to the cell block.”
The central watch house has five cell blocks; three are smaller than the other two.
Mr Malefoasi said it only takes about two to three hours to do the paper works before suspects are moved to the cells.
Asked how many shifts they have at the Watch House, Mr Malefoasi said they have five.
“We check on them twice every hour,” Mr Malefoasi explained.
He added that those manning the desk at the back can hear anyone calling for help from inside the cell blocks, but those at the front reception desk won’t hear much.
Mr Malefoasi was responding to a question raised by the Director of the Public Prosecutions Ronald Bei Talasasa.
The late Saemala’s mother, brother and relatives joined in the inquiry visit yesterday.
The coroner and the DPP and his senior prosecutors, Florence Joel and Ishmael Kekou,made the inquiry visit.
The visit to the cell room number four, which is the cell room the late Saemala died in, saw a room full of graffiti on its walls.
The room was a bare brick wall, with two small windows, and empty except for a silver toilet bowel and a long bench at one end of the room.
After the visit, Mr Numapo advised the families of the deceased the inquiry will resume Monday next week, and not today as earlier scheduled.
He said the inquiry will start off with the evidence from the brother of the deceased before it proceeds on with the evidence from the police officers.
Those police officers are the ones manning the cell block just before and after the late Saemala died on 27 of June 2016 while being held under a warrant of arrest.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
