A-G orders probe into death of inmate

Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Siromi Turaga has ordered a probe into the death of an inmate at the Fiji Corrections Service (FCS) Complex at Naboro on Saturday.

A viral Facebook post claimed that the inmate died between 2am to 3am on Saturday morning from a heart attack after his request to seek medical attention was turned down by corrections officials. Speaking to the media yesterday, Mr Turaga said any officer who was charged with negligence and murder would be taken to task.

“The FCS is suffering from the trauma of this incident, some of these officers are operated under that leadership; that doesn’t say that I encourage or condone and we are trying to change those mindsets,” he said.

“The consequences are clear, if you are involved, you will be taken to task.”

Mr Turaga said officers were sternly advised to respect inmates’ integrity and dignity. “There needs to be a balance to this and there is no other way, enough is enough,” he said.

In a statement, the FCS confirmed that the inmate was 60 years old and died at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) last Saturday February 10.

The statement said the inmate suffered from cardiomegaly and hypertension. “Procedures and protocols were in place for such incidents and an investigation into the matter was now underway. FCS said the family of the deceased was informed of the incident hours after the incident occurred,” the statement said.

A Board of Inquiry has been deployed to investigate circumstances surrounding the case, Mr Turaga said.