MONROVIA – The Minister of Justice, Oswald Tweh, has firmly responded to a threat of the Monrovia Central Prison closure, stating that the prison cannot be closed to the public and that the prison superintendent does not have the authority to shut down the prison.
This statement came days after the Superintendent of Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach), Varney Lake, announced the closure of the prison facility due to overcrowding. The Ministry of Justice clarified in a press release that it had already resolved the subsistence issues prior to the media’s coverage of the situation.
Justice Minister Oswald Tweh assured the public that the prison is open and has never been closed, adding that the prison superintendent does not have the authority to close the prison gates or halt admissions.
On July 5, 2024, Superintendent Lake wrote a letter to the office of the Acting County Attorney of Montserrado, Alihaji Swahilo Sesay, highlighting the overwhelming increase in the inmate population at the facility, which has a capacity of 374 and is struggling to accommodate the defendants in custody.
Lake mentioned that the feeding of inmates has reached an alarming stage, with the prison being owed ten months of the Prison Subsistence Fund (PSF) for inmate feeding. “We have done all that we could to keep the prison open, but as of tomorrow, July 6, 2024, there is nothing in store to feed inmates besides the rice ration that has been supplied,” he said.
The Prison Superintendent further stated, “In that regard, the prison authority is informing your office that starting Monday, July 8, 2024, the prison gates will be closed to new admissions of defendants until the food crisis is addressed.”
“In view of the above, we anticipate that this communication be taken seriously because if not, this may cause a serious hindrance to the rule of law that we as a nation are playing low key,” Lake added.
Minister Tweh responded by saying that despite the various challenges, the government, through the Ministry of Justice’s Bureau of Corrections and Rehabilitation (BCR), has successfully implemented a financial solution to address the subsistence issues at the prison facility as outlined in the ministry’s budget.
The release followed a communication dated July 5, 2024, from the Monrovia Prison Superintendent Varney Lake to the Acting County Attorney of Montserrado Alihaji Swahilo Sesay and the Director of Prisons, S. Sainleseh Kwaidah, at the Ministry of Justice, highlighting a significant increase in the inmate population to 1,541.
The Ministry of Justice’s release quoted the superintendent stating that feeding the inmates has become increasingly challenging and issued an ultimatum for the prison to stop accepting new admissions as of July 8, 2024.
Minister Tweh emphasized that his ministry is dedicated to upholding and enforcing the rule of law while protecting the rights of all residents and citizens, adhering to the highest international human rights standards.
Credible sources close to the presidency indicated that President Joseph Nyumah Boakai reprimanded Minister Oswald Tweh for allowing the issues to escalate.
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