LAW UNCLEAR ON CAPITAL PUNISHMENT

Papuan New Guinea Minister Tony Aimo said although the Criminal Act allowed the courts to impose a death sentence, the methods of doing so were not specified and the Correctional Service will look into current execution methods. None of PNG’s prisons had execution chambers, he added. Commissioner Richard Sikani agreed, and suggested that the Constitution be revisited to look into the matter. They said that although a high-level delegation led by former minister Posi Menai and former justice minister Mark Maipakai visited some countries two years ago to look at their systems, no recommendation or report was made. Mr Aimo, who was visiting prisons and lock-ups to understand the problems faced by the Correctional Service, said that there were currently four men on death row at the Bomana Prison. Eight others managed to get the sentence commuted, he said. Meanwhile, one of the four men on death row has urged Mr Aimo to keep a promise that he supposedly made on Sept 21. Kepak Langa, of Enga, said Mr Aimo visited Bomana Prison that day and promised to send all prisoners back to their home provinces to make family visits easier.