Day: April 24, 2023

Construction starts on a detention facility that will allow the Seychelles Prison Services to manage different categories of inmates remanded into custody, with the laying of the first stones on Monday.

Once fully completed, the facility will be held in separate units, male and female adults as well as male and female juvenile remandees awaiting their court verdict.

Located at Perseverance 1, the facility will be built in two phases. The first phase is expected to end in September or October this year when preparations to welcome female and adolescent remandees will commence. The second phase is set to be commissioned by the end of 2024.

The commissioner of the Seychelles Prison Services, Raymond St. Ange, shared that the new facility will have high standards and follow the recommendations set out in the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) for the planning of prisons and detention facilities.

The laying of the first bricks was done by Vice President Afif and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Fonseka. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

“This is a first for Seychelles, where under one roof we will manage three categories of remandees – juvenile, women, and men. It will be a facility that will cater to their humanitarian needs, safety, and security among others. The first phase will finish with 20 cells, and once both phases are completed there will be a total of 120 cells with the possibility to extend to 180,” said St. Ange.

At the moment there are 109 remandees – 50 males at the Bois de Rose Detention Remand Facility, one juvenile in custody of the police, seven females and 51 males at the Montagne Posee prison separated sections from sentenced inmates.

“Current inflows of those being held on suspicion and awaiting their day in court suggests that as a community we must take further measures to not only deter but as well to push on other approaches that support the rule of law and by that safer communities. An area stressing the service is those who exhibit mental disorders or serious anti-social behavior. Our facilities need to be at the level and standard to manage them,” said St. Agne.

He shared that among the services to be provided at the new facility will be counselling and psychologists.

The Seychelles Prison Services is currently working on a series of projects to improve its services. In May or June, staff will start their training at the Youth Offenders Facility on Praslin dedicated to boys and girls who have been sentenced by the court.

“A low-risk facility will be built at the Montagne Posee at the current prison facility itself. This will be used to manage inmates who have not committed a serious crime. They will be separated from inmates who are more of a risk,” said St. Ange.

There is also a plan for a high-risk prison, expected to be located at Bon Espoir, Montagne Posee, that will enable the prison service to better manage higher-risk inmates and those who do not respect their sentence plan, continue to be non-compliant or continue to repeat and offend once released.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

a construction d’un centre de détention qui permettra aux services pénitentiaires des Seychelles de gérer différentes catégories de détenus en détention provisoire, démarre avec la pose de la première pierre lundi.

Une fois entièrement achevé, l’établissement aura des unités séparées, d’hommes et de femmes adultes ainsi que des mineurs garçons et filles en détention provisoire attendant leur verdict du tribunal.

Située à Persévérance 1, l’installation sera construite en deux phases. La première phase devrait se terminer en septembre ou octobre de cette année, lorsque les préparatifs pour accueillir les femmes et les mineurs en détention provisoire commenceront. La deuxième phase devrait être mise en service d’ici la fin de 2024.

Le commissaire des services pénitentiaires des Seychelles, Raymond St. Ange, a déclaré que le nouvel établissement respectera des normes élevées et suivra les recommandations du Bureau des Nations Unies pour les services d’appui aux projets (UNOPS) pour la planification des prisons et des centres de détention.

La pose de la première pierre a été réalisée par le vice-président M. Afif et le ministre de l’Intérieur, M. Fonseka. (Seychelles Nation) Photo License: CC-BY

“C’est une première pour les Seychelles, où nous gérerons sous un même toit trois catégories de détenus – mineurs, femmes et hommes. Ce sera une installation qui répondra à leurs besoins humanitaires, de sûreté et de sécurité, entre autres. La première phase se terminera avec 20 cellules, et une fois les deux phases terminées, il y aura un total de 120 cellules avec la possibilité d’étendre à 180 », a déclaré M. St. Ange.

À l’heure actuelle, il y a 109 prévenus – 50 hommes à la maison d’arrêt de Bois de Rose, un mineur détenu par la police, sept femmes et 51 hommes à la prison de Montagne Posee, sections séparées des détenus condamnés.

“L’afflux actuel de personnes soupçonnées et attendant leur procès suggère qu’en tant que communauté, nous devons prendre des mesures supplémentaires non seulement pour dissuader, mais aussi pour promouvoir d’autres approches qui soutiennent l’état de droit et de ce fait des communautés plus sûres. Un domaine faisant pression sur le service est celui des personnes présentant des troubles mentaux ou des comportements antisociaux graves. Nos installations doivent être au niveau et aux normes pour les gérer », a déclaré M. St. Agne.

Il a partagé que parmi les services qui seront fournis dans le nouvel établissement, il y aura des programmes d’appui et des psychologues.

Les services pénitentiaires des Seychelles travaillent actuellement sur une série de projets pour améliorer leurs services. En mai ou juin, le personnel commencera sa formation au Centre pour jeunes délinquants de Praslin dédié aux garçons et aux filles qui ont été condamnés par le tribunal.

“Une installation à faible risque sera construite à Montagne Posée dans l’actuel établissement pénitentiaire lui-même. Elle sera utilisée pour gérer les détenus qui n’ont pas commis de crime grave. Ils seront séparés des détenus qui présentent plus de risques”, a déclaré M. Saint Ange.

Il existe également un plan pour une prison à haut risque, qui devrait être située à Bon Espoir, Montagne Posée, qui permettra au service pénitentiaire de mieux gérer les détenus à haut risque et ceux qui ne respectent pas leur plan de peine, continuent d’être non -conforme ou continuent à répéter et à offenser une fois libéré.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

Kenyan police resumed a grisly search Monday in a forest in the country’s east where the bodies of 51 suspected cult members have been exhumed from shallow graves.

Police said the search inland from Malindi was continuing not just for bodies but for possible survivors of a movement whose pastor reportedly told followers to starve themselves in order to “meet Jesus”.

A full-scale investigation has been launched into the Good News International Church and its leader since police stormed the forest at Shakahola and discovered the first bodies last week.

Over the weekend, dozens more corpses were unearthed and an 800-acre (325-hectare) area of woodland declared a crime scene as authorities seek to understand the true scale of the so-called “Shakahola Forest Massacre”.

Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome is expected to visit the site on Monday where teams clad in overalls have been scouring for more burial pits and possible cult survivors.

There are fears some members could be hiding from authorities in the surrounding bushland and at risk of death if not quickly found.

A number of people have already been rescued and taken to hospital in Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast.

A rights group which tipped off police about the movement and its extreme practices said at least one of those rescued had refused to eat despite being in clear physical distress.

The Kenya Red Cross said 112 people had been reported missing to its support staff at Malindi.

The cult leader, Makenzie Nthenge, turned himself in to police and was charged last month, according to local media, after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents.

He has since been released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($700).

The grim case has gripped national attention and the government has flagged the need for tighter control of religious denominations in a country where rogue pastors and fringe movements have been involved in crime.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki, who has announced he would visit the site on Tuesday, described the case as “the clearest abuse of the constitutionally enshrined human right to freedom of worship”.

But attempts to regulate religion in the majority-Christian country have been fiercely opposed in the past as attempts to undermine constitutional guarantees for a division between church and state.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

PWD Bamenda suffered a 2-0 loss to Coton Sport FC on match day 21 over the weekend, further complicating their chances of avoiding relegation as the season draws towards the last day.

Coach Constantine Bep’s side, ranked 9th on the classification table in Group A, were hoping to better the performance they had against Canon Sportif in the previous game, which ended 1-1.

However, second-placed Coton were also determined to inch closer to occupying the first spot, currently held by Canon of Yaounde with 35 points, and just two points clear.

The Abakwa Boys now have to battle it out with Renaissance FC to guarantee their stay in the top flight championship. Renaissance, positioned 10th, are equally facing relegation.

Sister club Yong Sport Academy of Bamenda on their part are in the mid segment of the Group B table. Exempted on match day 21, they occupy the 6th position with 24 points. Gazelle of Garoua are the group leaders with 35 points.

Here are the official standings after day 21

Source: Cameroon News Agency

Rising insecurity as a result of confrontations between armed separatists and state forces has been identified as a major factor impeding the development of Tinto sub-division in the Manyu division of the South West region. According to a municipal councillor, the council’s 2022 earmarked projects are either pending realization or yet to kick start especially in localities closer to Lebialem division known to be one of the hottest zones of the socio-political crisis.

“We have the mortuary – since 2022 that this contract was awarded, the contractors are still dangling with it. The new council chambers, given out since 2016 has not been realized till now. Shops that were to be constructed at a tune of FCFA 30 million in Tinto, nothing has started. A drainage system given in 2022 for FCFA 30 million, nothing has been done. The solar electricity project has been partially done with execution as poor standard materials were used. That’s why we are demanding the contractors to redo it. We have quarry sites in Tinto and Fotabe which are inaccessible because the contractors are sleeping.”

Even if Mayor Etchu Joseph Eyong told his collaborators, the councillors, that the non realization or completion of some of these projects is due to delayed FEICOM funding, the D.O. of Tinto during the Council’s budgetary session mentioned rising insecurity as a major threat to these projects.

“Tell the population that no project will be realized in Tinto if there is no peace. Owners of those construction machines say they are scared to work because of threats that their machines will be burnt,” stressed the D.O, Fogouong Amadou.

To step on this obstacle, the administrative officer commissioned the municipal councillors to be peace crusaders in their respective communities.

“We shouldn’t only sit and come for sessions. Try to get to your areas and preach peace. For us to succeed, I want councilors to be the first people to champion the peace crusade that we are about to launch,” the D.O emphasized.

If they are diving into their villages or communities to preach peace for development to accelerate, the councillors on their part urged the Mayor to be strict with some contractors who are hiding behind the crisis to poorly execute contracts or not finish them by either slamming them with suspension or suffocating them with pressure to realize the projects.

Source: Cameroon News Agency