Judge visits Beon jail compound

Accused bank robber William Nanua Kapris sitting in his bunk in his dark cell (at the Beon jail) as the doors were open. Inset: Kapris raising concerns with Justice David Cannings during his visit to Beon on Saturday.

By ROSALYN EVARA, Post Courier

THE trial into the Madang Bank South Pacific robbery will continue this week with the National Court expected to make a ruling on several human rights applications.
The applications were filed last Thursday by David Dotaona of Dotaona Lawyers on behalf of his client William Nanua Kapris and Siminji from the Public Solicitors Office on behalf of Kito Aso, Elvis Bala Aka and Isabelle Kivare.
Kivare is one of the two women accused in this robbery who was transferred a fortnight ago from Bomana to Beon with her two-year-old daughter.
All four, the court heard last week when the applications were filed, were being held in separate confinements, had been denied all basic rights including access to a lawyer, doctor and visitation by family and friends and had been subject to a lot of abuse.
Justice David Cannings had committed himself to visit the prison grounds to see firsthand their living conditions before making a ruling.
This he did over the weekend under police and CS escort.
The judge’s first stop after meeting with the jail commander Joe Jarko was the female compound where Kivare and her daughter were being held.
There he learned from the women warders that it was the practice for women coming into prison with their young children to be kept in separate holding areas so as not to disturb other inmates.
He heard the two were living in one of the blocks alone because the other was full.