Salima first grade magistrate Amran Phiri has urged law enforcement agencies to comply with the 48-hour bail rule of the country’s justice laws to ensure decongestion in police custody.
Speaking on Tuesday when stakeholders visited Salima Police Station, he said he found 90 suspects in a cell whose capacity is 30.
Said Phiri: “Section 42, subsection 2B of the Constitution stipulates that when a person has been arrested, he/she has to be brought to court within 48 hours, so that he should be informed the basis of the arrest.
“So, we came here to see how many suspects were arrested and how long they have stayed in custody and why they were still being kept in custody.”
However, the magistrate conceded that inadequate number of magistrates has affected the delivery of justice in the district as there are only two magistrates to handle cases.
Salima Police Station officer Ellen Damson attributed the overcrowding in cells to lack of a prison in Salima, saying they keep on remanding suspects regardless the fact that they are not supposed to hold them beyond 48 hours.
Paralegal Advisory Service Institute (Pasi) officer John Wilson Mangwalala expressed concern over the congestion at Salima Police Station.
“We should always do everything in line with the laws. Going forward, we think that Salima needs a prison and a reasonable number for magistrates to handle cases,” he said.
Pasi organised the visit with funding from the European Union and Unicef.
