Judicial Strike Haunts LL Police Operations
As
Judiciary continues with strike across the country, Lilongwe Police Station
says the development is failing police to perform their duties properly.
Lilongwe
Police spokesperson Sub Inspector Kingsley Dandaula says police
cells have been overcrowded by people waiting to get justice through courts and
backlog of cases to handle by prosecution officers is multiplying each passing
day.
He
said in order to observe 48 hour rule and minimize situation of overcrowded
cells, police are forced to grant bail those who committed minor offences. But
he said this is not proper as it is sending a wrong perception among the
members of general public to see a criminal walking out of police without being
tried in court.
Sub
Inspector Dandaula added that the situation has reduced number of people
arrested during operations and that as Christmas and New Year festive season
approaches it is likely that police will be limited in number of arrests
because there is no place to keep the criminals. He however mentioned that
Lilongwe Police is also trying to reduce overcrowding cells by taking some
criminals to Maula Prison for remand.
On
10th November Malawi courts came to a standstill when Judiciary
support staff downed their tools demanding government adjust their salaries corresponding
to the rate that has been implemented for Civil Servants recently.
Minister
of Finance and Economic Planning Goodall Gondwe on Sunday reiterated earlier
statement made by Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs Samuel Tembenu
that government will not vow to demands as doing so would defeat the whole
purpose of salary harmonization process being implemented because what happened
in the Civil Service was salary restructuring exercise and not general
increment.
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