Justice Minister Siromi Turaga announced that remandees must be securely locked in by 5 PM. In an interview, he revealed that a meeting took place last week involving representatives from the judiciary and corrections services to address concerns regarding the transportation of remandees.
Turaga stated, “I met with the Acting Chief Justice, senior officers from corrections, remand, police officers, several criminal judges, the Chief Magistrate, the Chief Registrar, and the Solicitor-General.” This was the first time all these stakeholders convened to discuss the critical issue of safely transporting remand prisoners, emphasizing that the deadline for locking them in is by 5 PM.
The minister referenced an incident from the previous week where 40 remandees arrived after the designated time, making the roles and responsibilities of those involved clearer after the meeting. He also urged court officials to inform the Fiji Corrections Service if remandees are still present in court before the 5 PM cut-off.