South Sudan Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut has granted more judges to fast-track prosecution and trial for the overcrowded Juba National Prison within the stipulated time.
Justice Madut said Judiciary will provide additional four judges to make a total of eight for the inmate to attain a fair trial timely.
The members of the judiciary, together with the team from the Ministry of Interior paid a courtesy visit to the national prison to inspect living conditions and the environment of inmates on Thursday
The prison is home to It more than 2,500 inmates, some waiting for trial while others spent years without seeing the judge.
Chief Justice Chan Reec Madut said up to four more judges will be assigned to Juba Central Prison to fasten court hearings of those whose cases have overstayed.
The Chief Justice asked the long-detained inmates to be patient as his office at the office prison director will work together to avail prosecutors and judges that will handle piled-up cases at the central prison.
“The issue of long detention here, I introduced mobile court at the prison and brought four
judges, I thought this was a solution that will solve the congestion here in prison but I
didn’t get the report,” Madut said.
The officials suggested that bigger land should be allotted to the Prison Service to address the congestion of inmates with the current facilities.
The Director-General of the National Prisons Service, Lt. Gen. Henry Kuany Aguar concerned about the lack of food and congestion that has embedded the national prison that deteriorated the living condition of inmates.
The inmates reported that some prosecutors allegedly ask for a large sum of money from them in order for them to appear before the court.
According to Hassan Abus, a Somali national inmate who is detained for nearly a year without trial said, their lives are in danger as overcrowding, lack of food, diseases, and poor living conditions hit hard the national central Prison in Juba.
Another inmate said many people have spent nearly a year or two without appearing before the court which is so discouraging.
In February this year, President Salva Kiir pardoned 71 inmates at Juba prison including 90-year-old Moses Ohiti Lowa who has been on death row for the last 18 years after being jailed for murder in 2005.