Seven high risk escapee still on the run

FIVE high risk prisoners at large on Efate after two escaped again on April 15.

The pair  made their break for freedom at mid-day when the correctional officers were busy transporting the 'Inmates Praise Singers' to ex-FOL for a choir event.

The Director of the Correctional Services, Johnny Jimmy Marango confirmed that Tom Lokin and Mathyas Pakoa climbed over the perimeter fence and escaped.

He said the recent escape has left seven prisoners in total still on the run.

The three others are Paul Shem, Moses Kilton and Jacky Saul.

Mr Marango said Shem  and other 11 prisoners escaped the ex-British high risk cells on February 21 but all escapees except Shem handed themselves in later to Tanna chiefs residing at the end of the Bauerfield Airport.  

He said Shem has a long record of escape.

Kilton and Saul have been  on the wanted list since their escape early in 2012.

Mr Marango said that last week he had asked the police to help recapturing those prisoners.

He is calling on everybody to contact his office or call  police if they know the  whereabouts of these prisonners because the society is at risk.

He said he anyone caught harbouring the fugitives will face charges themselves.

He said the officers have been tracing the cause of numerous escapes and had found that relatives and close friends were smuggling illegal items hidden in food into the prison.

“They are using bread and biscuits to smuggling items like iron saw blades to facilitate their escape by cutting the irons and  breaking free,” he said.

“The buildings at the ex-British jail were temporarily built  to accommodate prisonners for three years until the proposed correctional prison is built at Erangorango but until today no attempt has been taken toward that dormant project.''