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By SHEILA LASIBORI
POLICE Commissioner Gari Baki is the Registrar of Firearms and is the
only person authorised to sign documents relating to the issue and
renewals of firearm licences in the country.
But the Commissioner can also delegate this power to “commissioned
officers” of the police force as stated for under Section 4 of the
Firearms Act.
Mr Baki said that while he was the only person dealing with licensing
matters, it was also possible for a non-commissioned officer at the
firearms section at the police headquarters in Konedobu, Port Moresby,
to deal with licences on his behalf in breach of S4 of the Act.
The commissioner’s comments follows a court case last week in Port
Moresby whereby a copy of a renewed licence for a .22 calibre firearm
was tendered at the Boroko District Court as defence evidence for a
Chinese national found guilty of having in his possession firearms and
ammunition without the appropriate licences.
The copies of the documents tendered bore the signature of a
non-commissioned officer (named) who reportedly acted on a statutory
declaration and renewed the licence.
The licence was renewed on March 8 this year, just three days after the
Chinese made his first court appearance.
The renewal went against advice given by transnational crime unit
officers and prosecutors stating that the licence should only be renewed
upon the completion of the court proceedings.
Police charged the Chinese on Feb 2 following a raid at Konedobu on Jan
15 earlier this year.
The non-commissioned officer, when contacted, refused to comment on the
issue.
The court decided last Wednesday that the Chinese pay fines of up to
K1,500 with an additional K600 as security fee for a nine-month good
behaviour bond.
Mr Baki also said that once a person was convicted by a court of law in
relation to a firearm offence, the respective firearm licence(s) must be
revoked and the firearm and other items forfeited to the State. |
