Baki to stand trial over disaffection

POLICE Commissioner Gari Baki has been committed to stand trial in the National Court over charges of causing disaffection in the police force.
Waigani District Court magistrate Allan Kopi yesterday ruled that there was sufficient evidence for Baki to stand trial in the National Court.
Mr Baki was charged under Section 163 of the Police Force Act for allegedly causing disaffection among members of the police force and was suspended as the deputy police commissioner (Operations) last year.
But while the charge was pending, the National Executive Council went ahead and appointed him commissioner of police.
Magistrate Kopi said Mr Baki should stand trial on the basis that evidence by witnesses in statements before the court were deemed as proper and appropriate.
Mr Baki’s lawyers had submitted in court that the statements should be dismissed as evidence as they were suspiciously similar in content.
While accepting the ruling, Mr Baki expressed frustration that the court decision had come at a time when the Police Force under his leadership, had settled down and was concentrating on important events, especially the national election in June.
“I wish that the decision could have come a lot earlier. My only disappointment is that the court should have made its decision in October or November last year. There had already been seven adjournment and on the eighth the court has made its decision,” Mr Baki told The National yesterday.
But Mr Baki said he would continue to perform his role and not step aside.
He said the court decision was procedural and he would continue to perform his official duties as the Police Force had much bigger things to work on.
“The court had seen that this is a matter for the higher court to deal with. I cannot wait for this matter to be heard,” he said.
He said the important thing that the public must be made aware of was that the court process on the allegations against him was not over yet.
He said he had not been found guilty of anything by the court.


 

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