Only a magisterial inquiry is independent

The death of a Nigerian illegal immigrant, aged 29, in the course of his escape from the Safi detention centre and subsequent capture by the police last Sunday morning has led to the setting up of three inquiries.

The magisterial inquiry is the one sanctioned and regulated by law and the key investigation, that of the post mortem, is conducted under it aegis.

The Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, politically responsible for the administration of justice and the police, has set up his own inquiry which he describes “an independent inquiry”. Is he then uncertain of the independence of the magistracy for which he is the political guarantor and does he consider that as he plays little or no part in the conduct of the autopsy his version of events as arrived at by his so-called “independent inquiry” is nearer the complete truth than that in the magistrate’s report?

The police have also set up their own inquiry. They at least have the decency to call it simply their departmental inquiry. But I ask: Is it really necessary to have three official simultaneous inquiries when the law provides all the requisites for one proper, regulated, transparent inquiry.

The focus should be on the magisterial inquiry to see it is conducted efficiently and in a wholly objective manner availing itself of the highest expertise at hand. Inquiries run by government departments, concerned in the events looked into, can never be truly “independent”.