Court move to stop prisoner tracking tags being cut off

A COMPANY that provides GPS tracking devices to monitor more than 500 prisoners is trying to stop the Department of Correctional Services from deactivating the tags‚ saying the move will put a strain on the courts and police.

Engineered System Solutions (ESS) have filed an urgent application in the High Court in Pretoria in order to force the department to stop removing the tags from parolees and awaiting-trial prisoners. The case will be heard today. The application is the latest in an ongoing row between the department and ESS‚ which provides the devices.

An internal departmental memo‚ attached to the application‚ has cited that “intensive and effective physical monitoring” would be required to maintain the safety of communities in which offenders live.

The company questions if correctional services has the capacity to properly track prisoners once tags have been removed.

ESS was this year notified its contract would be cancelled with immediate effect‚ two years before the five-year agreement would end – amid repeated calls for payment from the department for outstanding invoices totalling more than R80-million.

The dispute over payment and cancellation form part of another court battle by ESS.

In papers attached to the latest application‚ ESS chief executive Mario Ferreira has told the court that the issuing of the instruction to de-tag prisoners was an attempt to sabotage the ongoing dispute over payment.

“I have indicated previously that some of these individuals are criminals convicted of serious offences and I have absolutely no doubt the termination or interruption of the monitoring service will simply cause these individuals to be in a position to disap Ferreira’s affidavit reads.

He says the company will suffer “irreparable harm” if the department removes the tracking devices.

Ferreira also quotes extensively from the department’s memo ordering the de-tagging‚ dated July 5 2017‚ which says certain parolees “might be loose” if the tracking devices are removed.

DCS spokesman Logan Maistry confirmed the department would be opposing the application but declined to comment on further questions. — DDC