Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Provincial Police commanders have suggested that there must be a review of the Police Bail Act because of the increasing number of bench warrants delivered to them by the courts for execution annually.
The commanders, in a conference on Monday, confirmed that each year they receive more than fifty bench warrants from the courts because defendants fail to appear in court after being granted bail.
Western Highlands Provincial Police Commander Superintendent Joseph Sagom raised this issue during the one-day Prosecution Review Committee workshop for provincial commanders in Port Moresby, stating that he has more than 400 bench warrants in his office that need to be executed. He further added that the warrants are from the courts for non-appearance in court. He said most of those who do not appear in court are those who are out on police bail but fail to appear in court and are issued bench warrants.
PPC Sagom was supported by the other PPCs in stating that the Bail Act must be reviewed to amend the part that grants everyone the right to bail. They added that this right has allowed people to bail out and leave the area where they committed the crime, migrating to another location and making it difficult for the police to locate them and bring them to court.
The provincial police commanders also made recommendations that if a person is apprehended for any offense and wants to bail, they must obtain a guarantee letter from either their councilors or family leader and present it to the bail officer for the detainees to be released on bail. They said this would hold the person accountable when the person charged and bailed does not appear in court.
Director of Prosecution, acting Superintendent Pare Kuiap, during the workshop, also challenged the PPCs to work closely with all the prosecutors and investigators in their respective provinces to ensure they secure more convictions. He noted that there are many challenges that the prosecutors in the provincial commands face, such as manpower and logistics, but that did not stop them from doing their job. He stated that crimes are happening every day and that police officers are working hard to produce results, which means securing convictions. He emphasized that the prosecutors are the key people who do that in the courtroom, completing the process for any arrested person when they are convicted or when their case is dismissed.
