Justice Institute still an empty shell

GREAT BAY – When Justice Minister Edson Kirindongo cut the blue ribbon on the old Soremar building in Cole Bay on July 29, we wrote that this building “holds a lot of promise for the near future” because the building is destined to house a forensic lab, a state of the art shooting range and the control room for the camera surveillance system. But that future looks far away, if not uncertain, because yesterday, 92 days after the inauguration, the building is still empty. The main entrance is shuttered closed, there are weeds growing at the bottom of the stairs and on the first step a discarded microwave oven is waiting for collection. Gray shades cover the windows to the left of the main entrance, but through the windows on the right it is clear to see that the building is still empty.

The ambition is to “grow step by step towards a forensic institute that can also service countries in the region. The shooting range in the building will be shared with other services, also from the French side,” Minister Kirindongo said in July. Then he announced with some pride the third dog brigade at the police force.

At least, those dogs are there – we saw them – but there is no shooting range, no forensic lab and no surveillance camera control room in the building in Cole Bay.

The building itself seems to be in a state of neglect. One of the lights above the main entrance is missing, a panel of the façade that was already missing in July has never been replaced and the gray shades in front of the windows are torn.

The police and the justice ministry did not immediately provide a clarification for the situation.

Photo caption: The Justice Institute in Cole Bay is currently just a name. Photo Today / Hilbert Haar