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Published On: Thu, Sep 22nd, 2016

Ostrich position

The strike of by now eleven pro bono attorneys shows that not everything is fine and dandy at the justice ministry. There is an apparent budget problem – suggesting that the minister has run out of money, but keen observers wonder how this could be.

There is reportedly $1.3 million in the crime fund – money that the minister can spend at his discretion in the fight against crime. Question: where is that money?

And it is not like the attorneys showed up out of nowhere to become an unexpected burden to the minister’s budget.

The concern about this situation goes beyond the payment due to the attorneys; the situation affects everyone who is (or becomes) a suspect and unable to afford legal counsel.

There will be no attorneys at arraignments, meaning that the Judge of Instruction will not even be able to handle those situations. There is therefore a risk that criminals will be turned loose for procedural reasons, while Minister of Justice Edson Kirindongo does nothing.

Since he has made no contact with the striking attorneys, it looks like the minister has taken the ostrich position, thinking the storm will blow over.

Honestly, that is not the way to do things.