By: Felix Ikpotor
In a bid to fast track criminal justice delivery in Rivers State, the government has constituted the State Plea Bargain Committee.
Plea bargain is captured in chapter 28 of the Rivers State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, No.7 of 2015.
The committee is expected to receive, review and recommend plea bargain to the state government.
It is also to carryout sensitization and create awareness on the procedure in conjunction with the correctional centre.
The committee is headed by the state attorney general.
Inaugurating the committee in Port Harcourt, Attorney General of the state, Professor Zacheaus Adangor said the essence of the committee is to expedite the disposal of criminal cases and to also reduce the number of cases in the court.
He stated that with the plethora of cases before the court the committee was ripe as his office has received several applications for withdrawal of criminal cases.
The Attorney General explained that plea bargain makes it easy for a serious offender to get a lighter sentence.
“The number of cases we have in court and the number of lawyers we have here are grossly insufficient to handle the number of criminal cases we have especially in Magistrate Courts.”
“So if you resort to plea bargain, it will ensure speed in handling the cases. Plea bargain helps to make someone with a higher offence to be sentenced for a lesser one..and also safe cost of prosecution”
He further noted that, “when parties sit together to discuss and the court based on that agreement and passes judgment, that judgment ensures peace”.
He charged the committee to take the work seriously and assist the state in ensuring that people that have committed crime does not go scot free.
Director of Public Prosecution in the State, Ibiene Mbano on her part, thanked the AG for taking up the step, describing it as a win-win situation for all.
Ibiere Mbano who is the alternate chairman of the committee also promised to work according to the terms of reference that has been handed down to them.
Speaking with journalist shortly after the inauguration, a member of the committee, Barrister Doris Gilbert said the move by the Attorney General is apt; stressing that plea bargain is a restorative mode of punishment as it adopts procedures which make the offender to realize and acknowledge his wrong doing and also proceed to make amends.
She also said the plea bargain procedure saves time and ensure compensation for all parties involved in the matter such as the government, victim and minimal sentence for the offender.
She promised to work alongside other members of the committee to ensure that the assignment given to them is judiciously carried out.
The committee is made up of representatives from the NBA, DSS, Red Cross, Correctional Service and the Police.
