QUESTION OF THE DAY
The seven days established by the Criminal Procedure Code as limit for appearance before a court when one is being in custody is being honoured with total disregard in the case of the Koina 26. They have been languishing at Janjangbureh Prison while the Truth Reparations and Reconciliation Commission has as its clarion call, ‘Never Again!’
Every person who is charged with a crime is presumed innocent until he/she has pleaded or is proven guilty. The law restricts any detention without trial to seventy-two hours if one is in police custody. After court appearance there is restriction placed on the person presiding not to remand the person for more than seven day without court appearance.
The Koina 26 have so far been detained for more than two weeks in gross violation of their rights not to have their liberty violated by being detained beyond the statutory time limit. This should warrant the DPP to take over this case to minimize miscarriage of justice.
