The coronial inquiry on Wednesday heard the late David Saemala who died in police custody last year was separated from his cell mate on the night before he died because they were singing choruses and praying loudly.
This was revealed on Wednesday when police constable Clarence Samani read his statement at the coronial inquiry into the Death of the late Saemala.
“I was picked up by the sign off shift, Alpha shift around after 11pm.” Mr Samani said.
That was on the night of 26 June 2017.
He said he was then dropped off at the Central Police Station and walked straight to the in charge office.
“As I approach the in charge office, I already heard loud noises from inside the Watch House.”
Mr Samani said he first went to the boys barrack to iron his uniform clothes before he came back to the front desk.
He said when he came back he could still hear the noise from inside the Watch House but cannot identify who was making those noises.
“I could clearly hear that noise as they were praying and singing choruses.
“That noise was so loud that it could be heard from the main road.
“I could also hear some sort of words that I could not understand.
“It sounds like a short of cult language,” Mr Samani said.
He said he came to the front desk and asked who were making the noise and he was told they were two under warrant suspects who were placed in custody.
The inquiry heard Samani went behind the Watch House at the back where those two suspects were kept and flushed the toilet from outside intending to make them stop making too much noise.
“But instead when they heard the flush, they both shouted as to rebuke something,” Mr Samani said.
Mr Samani then came back to the front of the Watch House and sat with three other officers there.
He said the noise continued and so he told the officers that it was best to separate the two suspects into separate cells.
That night at about after 11pm and 12midnight, the late Saemala’s cell mate Jesmuel Bosokuru was taken out of cell room four to cell room five.
Mr Samani said Bosokuru refused to go into cell room five because he said the Holy Spirit was using them and wanted to go back to cell room four to be with the late Saemala.
He said when they opened the door to remove Bosokuru, they were sweating and shaking.
“As I opened the door, the lights in the corridor reflected in the cell and I saw David Saemala was sitting on the stool with his eyes appearing as not in a normal state.
The coroner, Chief Magistrate John Numapo having heard this told the Director of Public Prosecutions Ronald Bei Talasasa to call a psychiatrist to come and confirm the state the late Saemala was in as to whether or not this was normal.
He said evidence from other witnesses were consistent when they were describing the accused’s condition and therefore needed a psychiatrist to confirm that.
The coronial inquiry heard Samani left the Watch House after placing Bosokuru in cell 5 left and went with the patrol team.
He returned at 7am on the 27 of June 2016, at the Central Police Station to sign off and then head home to rest.
It was heard he received a call from the Central Police Station at about after 11am and 12pm informing him of Mr Saemala’s death.
He told the inquiry that was when he first knew about Saemala’s death.
Mr Talasasa then asked Saemala about a special entry book which he said there were no entries made on 1am to 6am on the day the late Saemala died.
He said before 1am entries were made regularly after 10 minutes or 30 minutes or an hour but no entries were made for four to five hours between 1am to 6am.
Mr Samani however said he was at that time not at the Watch House but agreed that regular entries were supposed to be made.
The coronial inquiry continues this afternoon.
The late Saemala and his two friends were taken to Watch House by police on 24 June 2016 for safe keeping because they were under the influence of liquor and causing disturbances to the public opposite the Honiara Central Market.
However whilst at the Watch House, police found he has a warrant of arrest and therefore he was not released the following day.
He was kept at the watch house until 27 June 2016, four days later, when he was found dead in cell four.
Assisting the coroner in this inquiry is Mr Talasasa, his prosecutors Florence Joel and Ishmael Kekou and Police Investigator Collin Pitakesa from the Professional Standards and Internal Investigation (PSII).
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
