Prison brutality victim desperate for justice

Zolani Kraai | Friday August 22, 2014 11:59

 

They assaulted Chiameka before leaving him for dead. Mmegi investigations have established that the matter was reported to prison officials who opened a file with the Tsabong Police. Two days later, a medical report from the Tsabong hospital revealed that the victim suffered multiple lacerations.

In an exclusive interview with Mmegi, Chiameka revealed that the four men randomly attacked him. “I struggled to free myself from the attackers who held my hands tight behind my back. I got several cuts on my head, elbow, rib and belly,” he narrated. He said no prison warder was nearby during the attack. Only  a shout by one of the prisoners caught the wardens’ attention.

After the incident he approached the lead attacker (who’s name is known to this publication) who cheekily told him he deserved to be punished as he (Chiameka) had told warders of his intention to escape from prison.

Statements from the witnesses reveal that on the night, he main attacker walked around with a razor blade wrapped with toilet paper, while his one accomplice carried a pair of scissors. However,  according to a statement by the sectional leader at the time (name withheld) prisoners were thoroughly searched and the cells locked at 6pm. The matter was reported at around 10pm.

The six inmates all aged below 30, appeared before the Tsabong magistrate court on 16th February 2011. They were each charged with unlawful wounding contrary to section 233 (a) of the Penal Code chapter 08:01 revised edition of 2002 of Botswana Laws. According to the particulars of the offence,

“The six accused persons on the 20th night of December 2010 in cell number four at Tsabong State Prison unlawfully wounded Babusi Chiameka by stabbing him with a sharp instrument on the head, right side of the belly, right arm and neck thereby causing him multiple wounds, lacerations and soft tissue injuries.

The three accused were charged with minimum extended sentences ranging from one year. Meanwhile, Chiameka’s attorney Themba Joina said the matter has been resolved through the consent order court of laws and compensation is yet to be awarded. “We have been in constant negotiations with the Attorney General Chambers but the talks are stalled by lack of advice from an independent private medical expert, who is yet to be consulted by my client. I have since advised him to do so after which we expect a consolidated report on the injuries sustained by my client, which will influence the compensation reached,” he explained. Chiameka applied for Presidential Pardon in April 2013 but was turned down.

 He has since completed his jail term.