Garowe (PP News Desk) — The Commissioner of Puntland State Police Force Brigadier General Mumin Abdi Shire blamed authorities for the high reoffending rate among convicts who do not serve their full sentences. At an event organised by the Puntland Development and Research Center in Garowe, the Police Commissioner candidly spoke of how policing efforts are undermined by individuals facilitating the premature release of convicts from jail.
“Our work ends up in failure because suspects we arrest, charge, and convict are subsequently released to commit crimes in the town. We, the police force, do not deserve blame for the crimes these individuals commit” said Shire. ‘Five convicts who were sentenced for murder over a land dispute have been released from prison. The government, Ministry of Justice, and Courts have appointed a committee to address this problem,’ he added.
A lawyer interviewed by Puntland Post said that Puntland State’s hybrid legal system “recognises the customary law as a complementary system” through which parties can renegotiate court decisions. “A case can be settled out of court, but it becomes miscarriage of justice when elders of two parties involved in a case meet after a court ruling and decide to override judicial decisions” the lawyer explained.
The crisis in Puntland’s justice system affects policing and undermines public confidence in law enforcement agencies.
© Puntland Post, 2024