Sabha, 16 July:
A mass prison breakout took place in the southern town of Sabha on Friday, with 34 inmates now said . . .[restrict]to be on the loose.
A spokeswoman from the Judicial Police, Colonel Najat Shoshan, confirmed that the prisoners had escaped from Sabha’s Reform and Rehabilitation Institute at around 9pm on Friday evening.
“Initial investigations have revealed that the escape was orchestrated by the inmates themselves through the use of ventilation shafts in the bathrooms”, she said.
Shoshan stated that the prison had circulated a list of the escapees’ names, along with their photos and convictions, to checkpoints and border crossings in the hope of facilitating their apprehension.
It is understood that security at the prison was compromised by the presence of military personnel on the site in addition to members of the judicial police.
“The presence of different security personnel in the prison created many obstacles and cause confusion in respect of security duties and responsibilities”, Colonel Shoshan said. “Had their been proper cooperation and coordination between them then such a breach of security may well not have happened”.
In addition, there have also been suggestions of deliberate collusion between guards and the prisoners. Colonel Ibrahim Saleh, head of Sabha’s Judicial Police Department, said that a team of investigators had now been appointed to pursue the case, adding that should enquiries reveal any deliberate neglect on the part of the prison guards on duty that day, then they would be subjected to legal proceedings.
In spite of the criticisms, Colonel Shoshan said that the prison authorities had worked hard under difficult circumstances, and that security lapses were to be expected from time to time.
“The prison has had a lot of heavy work placed on its shoulders over the past few months, and has strived to provide reform and rehabilitation services in addition to ensuring that inmates are protected and have access to the proper authorities”, she said.
“Some downfalls are expected, especially in southern regions, which are considered areas of tension, but we will work had to overcome all these obstacles. No efforts have been spared by the judicial police to secure these institutions to the best of their abilities, in spite of these challenges and given the resources available to them.” [/restrict]
