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Silence on cause of elder's death in custody van

By TIFFANY LAURIE

1 February 2008 - Police yesterday refused to reveal the results of a post-mortem examination on the body of an Aboriginal elder who died after he collapsed in custody while being taken to Kalgoorlie in the back of a van.

It is understood police received the results yesterday.

Warburton Aboriginal elder Ian Ward collapsed in the back of a GlobalSolutions Limited van on Sunday after a four-hour trip from Laverton to Kalgoorlie anddied a short time later at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital.

The 46-year-old, who was being transferred to face a charge of drinkdriving,was found unconscious in the back of the van in the middle of the afternoon when temperatures outside exceeded 40 degrees.

It is understood the van's air-conditioning broke down the previous week andhad to be replaced. The van is part of a fleet owned by the State Government but managed by the private prison management company.

The State Government's controversial deal with Global Solutions Limited, the group responsible for prisoner transport, could be tested, depending on the outcome of the investigation into Mr Ward's death.

Opposition Leader Troy Buswell said the death in custody raised seriousconcerns over the State Government's "gifting" of the contract to GSL.

GSL was controversially awarded the $70 million prisoner transport, court custody and security services contract last year when the company bought out the previous contractor Australian Integrated Management Service.

Letters obtained under Freedom of Information laws revealed the Inspector for Custodial Services, Richard Harding, told Corrective Services Minister Margaret Quirk in April that the plan for GSL to take over the contract was unwise and risky.

Despite his advice, Cabinet not only approved the takeover of the AIMS contract by GSL last July, but days later it extended the deal by three years without any public tender process.

"Depending on the outcome of the investigation by police and the coroner,the State Government needs to be examining every aspect of the contract and take action against GSL if and when it is appropriate," Mr Buswell said.

Ms Quirk said issues surrounding Mr Ward's death, including the contract with GSL, was a matter for the police investigation and the coronial inquest and it was not appropriate to speculate.

"At this point no one knows how or why the man died, she said. "It is disgusting that the Opposition is using this tragic death in custody to try to score cheap political points."

The annual Report on Government Services 2008 found WA had the highest rate of indigenous imprisonment in Australia, with about 3500 Aboriginal prisoners per 100,000 adults compared with fewer than 2500 nationally.

WA also had the second-highest rate of indigenous prisoner deaths from apparent unnatural causes behind NSW, at about six deaths for every 10,000 prisoners. The national rate is five in 10,000 prisoners.

A spokesman for GSL said that for contractual reasons, and because the police investigation was ongoing, he was unable to comment, but the situation was "distressing".

Source: The West Australian

Further information: respected Aboriginal elder Mr Ian Ward - death in custody

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