THREE ESCAPE FROM POLICE CUSTODY

THREE ESCAPE FROM POLICE CUSTODY

Three persons have escaped from police custody this week whilst being transported to court from the newly opened Montagne Posée Prison. This, even though, the Seychelles police had taken delivery of a brand new purpose built escape proof vehicle. It is now known that at least one of the escapees was on remand for drug related offences at the prison.

The prisoners have complained of atrocious conditions at the prison and of the stringent prison rules which may be in violation of their basic human rights. Some prisoners have instructed their lawyers to request the judges to visit the prisons to see conditions for themselves. The prison is yet to be completed and there are Indian migrant workers constantly painting and grinding making the life of the prisoners unbearable.

The prisoners have complained about the pungent smell of paint and the constant annoying noises of grinder on steel. There is also no distinction between prisoners and remandees as tough prison rules are applied across the board to everybody irrespective of status. One remand person who is currently being detained at the prison complained that he is not being allowed to smoke at all. He said that he has been warned that if he is found in possession of cigarettes he will be deemed to be in breach of prison rules and may be liable to severe punishment.

Lawyers have also complained that they cannot have private sessions with their clients to take instructions as the prison warden insists on being present during conference. This is in breach of the lawyer/client privilege and one lawyer is known to be filing a motion before the Supreme Court to specifically request that he sees his client in private when he visits the prison.

Some prisoners have requested that they be transferred to Grand police prison to escape the harsh conditions of the Montagne Posée prison. Their requests have apparently been turned down as the Grand Police have already been earmarked for a tourism related development.

Visits by relatives is also yet to be sanctioned making matters worse for the prisoners who need their family for moral support as they serve their sentences. The list of items allowed to the prisoners has also been drastically cut both in quantity and variety. In the meantime the Commissioner of Police has stated that in future all persons on remand will be transferred to the Montagne Posée prison as the cells at the police stations are in desperate need of repairs. To make matters worse those on remand are being kept together with convicted prisoners since the remand centre is yet to be constructed. This is apparently a clear violation of the constitutional rights of the remand prisoners who are yet to be convicted.

It appears that the three escapees decided to risk their lives by making a daring escape rather than continue to endure the hardship at the prison. There are now serious concerns that if the current situation at the prison is not attended to urgently there might be an imminent prison riot.

The Montagne Posee prison has been financed by foreign investors who had purchased Long Island from the government in order to build a 5 star resort. Under the agreement the government was given adequate time to construct the prison and relocate the prisoners there. However, as usual the government failed to adhere to the deadline even though the government had been given sufficient funds in foreign exchange to build all the necessary facilities.

The deadlines had come and gone on at least three occasions with the investors reluctantly extending them on more than two occasions. The government was compelled to move to the prison at Montagne Posée eventually even though it was yet to be completed, as they were legally advised that they could be in breach of the agreement if they do not move. Since they had already overstayed the third deadline there could have been serious monetary implications to the government.