Africa-Press – Cape verde. The Barlavento Court of Justice building was one of the most affected by the torrential rains on the 11th in São Vicente. The building was damaged and unable to accommodate judges. Physical files and electronic equipment were damaged, the court announced today.
This information was provided to Rádio Morabeza by the Minister of Justice, Joana Rosa, who is seeking a space to rent for the next five months, until construction on the new building to house the Court is completed.
“The current condition of the Barlavento Court of Appeal building makes it unsuitable for the court to perform its duties at this time. We are looking for a space to rent, and in two or three weeks, we will begin construction on the new building to relocate the Barlavento Court of Appeal. This work will create better conditions for both the Court of Appeal and the Barlavento Court of Appeal’s Office. Until then, judges will have to work from home or, if rented space is available, they will have to occupy it until better working conditions are established,” she explains.
The Minister of Justice states that the courts will have to evaluate the damaged files and submit reports to the higher councils, defining how to reconstruct these files. The Palace of Justice also suffered damage, particularly to the basement, which was flooded with water and mud, affecting printed files of the courts and the Registry and Notary Office.
“Regarding the São Vicente Palace of Justice, we lost all the equipment in the archives department. The DGRNI headquarters itself was completely damaged, so the registry offices had to be relocated. Thus, the civil registry was transferred to the second registry office, so that, later, conditions can be created for the standardization and reinstallation of these services in São Vicente,” he says.
Regarding the Civil Registry archives, the authority explains that the losses will not be substantial, as these are also on computer support.
Rainfall Exposes Need to Relocate São Vicente Central Penitentiary
The São Vicente Central Penitentiary was also affected by the floods, suffering damage to equipment such as X-ray machines and the entire IT area. Cleaning of the facility is still ongoing with prison personnel.
Joana Rosa explains that the disaster highlighted the challenge of relocating the prison to ensure security at all levels.
“We need to rethink the location of the São Vicente Central Jail and work on a future project to relocate it. This is work that needs to be done, and within the emergency framework, we will try to see if it is possible to include a project to build a new São Vicente jail in another area that can ensure greater security at all levels. The Ribeirinha jail is located within the population center and, at the same time, is a prison that needs renovation. We also need to increase the number of cells to address prison overcrowding,” she points out.
Regarding the cost of the damage caused by the heavy rains to institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Justice in São Vicente, Joana Rosa states that it is not yet possible to quantify it, as she is awaiting reports from the Notary’s Offices and the São Vicente District Court.
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