August 2006

Senanga Inmate Seeks Help
By Perpetual Sichikwenkwe in Mongu
A prisoner who was serving at Senanga Prison and later walked for three days to Senanga Central Prison after realising that he could not be tolerated at Senanga prison because he was drunk has appealed to Legal Resources Foundation ( LRF) to assist him come out of prison.
The inmate Boyd Simataa has since completed his three-year term sentence at Mongu Prison but prison authorities returned him to Senanga Prison where he had escaped to go and serve his sentence at Mongu Central Prison.
Simataa, who was serving a three-year sentence for burglary and theft at Senanga Prison, told LRF Mongu Paralegal Sianga Mulunga that on November 13, 2005 he was in the company of another inmate Chimbinde when they were asked by prison authorities to go and cut reeds at a nearby river.
Simata said that they managed to escape to go and drink beer in the nearby place. When Simataa realised that he was drank, he decided to walk for three days to Mongu Central Prison for fear that if he went back to Senanga Prison, he would be dealt with severely.
Simataa said when he reached Mongu, he went straight to Mongu Central Prison and asked the prison authorities to detain him alleging that he had ran away from Senanga Prison because they were mistreating him.
He said he finished his jail sentence on February 9, 2006 and on the 17 of the same month, Simataa was transferred back to Senanga Prison where he was told that he could not be released because he had escaped from lawful custody.
Simataa complained that from that time he has not been taken to court to be tried for escaping from lawful custody.
He alleged that he is suffering from TB and prison authority are not taking him to hospital for medication. He wants LRF to help him know the fate of escaping from Senanga prison.
Senanga prisons officer in charge said he would talk to the prison warder that was guarding Simataa at the time he escaped so that he can follow up the report he made at the police station of escaping from lawful custody.