Police officers face the axe over remand prisoners escaping

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Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho. Picture: FT FILE

A NUMBER of police officers have been removed from the Fiji Police Force over the escape of remand prisoners from their custody.

Another one is currently on interdiction, says Police Commissioner Brigadier General Sitiveni Qiliho.

Three remand prisoners escaped from the custody of Lautoka Police last Monday.

All three were recaptured by the Western Division taskforce team from various locations around Lautoka.

In November last year, five remand prisoners escaped from the Suva courthouse cell block.

One of them was arrested by a police taskforce at Wailea Settlement in Vatuwaqa, Suva, while the rest were arrested in Nakasi and Vugalei.

In mid-July last year, three others escaped from the Nadi Police Station. Two of them were later arrested at a settlement in Tacirua, while the third one surrendered himself to police.

Brig-Gen Qiliho said for the recent case, he directed the terms of reference for a board of inquiry to be drawn up while investigations took its course.

“It’s something that’s shameful to happen that remandees escape from our custody,” he said.

“We are looking at it holistically. We are also looking at other issues of command and control responsibilities that we have.”

In condemning the escape of the five remand prisoners from the Suva cell block in November last year, Brig-Gen Qiliho said it was unacceptable and a disciplinary action would be taken against officers who failed to conduct their duties.

In an earlier interview with this newspaper, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rusiate Tudravu said officers from the Police Special Response Unit (PSRU) in Nasinu were usually deployed to the cell block in Suva to beef up the security because of the increasing number of remandees.

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