Africa-Press – Angola. The District Court of Chitato, province of Lunda Norte, this Wednesday started issuing warrants for the release of 12 inmates who have already served the time of the sentences that had been applied to them but who are still trapped in the prison in Cacanda.
The information was provided by the presiding judge of the District Court of Chitato, Baptista Guenjo, following the concern expressed by the head of the Provincial Services of the Ombudsman’s Office, Wilson Mucapola, about the existence of 15 inmates with expired sentences in the Prison of Cacanda and awaiting the release warrants.
He said that the citizens had been convicted of different crimes, mainly against people and property (theft).
He said that the delay in issuing releases has to do with the reduced number of Law judges (3) who are automatically from Guarantor, due to the shortage of staff.
According to Baptista Guenjo, each of the five four municipalities under the jurisdiction of the Chitato District Court (Cambulo, Lucapa, Caungula and Cuilo) should have three judicial magistrates, one for judgments and two for guarantees.
“The institution has a structure with conditions, but several cabinets for judges are empty, due to lack of human resources and Chitato, in the worst case scenario, needs ten more judges”, he stressed.
He assured that despite the reduced number of judicial magistrates, the Court of Comarca do Chitato has been carrying out proximity judgments in the districts under its jurisdiction (Cambulo, Lucapa, Caungula and Cuilo).
On the other hand, he said that eight cases of inmates from the Prison of Cacanda, whose sentences have also been served, but who have not yet been released, are pending in the Supreme Court for the decision.
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