By SHEILA LASIBORI
THE Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) may not be able to prosecute a senior Government official for allegedly carrying 50 bullets on board an Air Niugini flight four months ago.
Police have told the CAA that they have no jurisdiction to investigate any incident in another country.
Their investigation so far has not uncovered any evidence to link the official with the alleged offence at Singapore’s Changi Airport on July 12.
Crimes director Raphael Huafolo said yesterday they had not been able to establish whether the ammunition was cleared at the Jackson International airport before the official boarded Singapore-bound PX392.
It was believed that Singapore Customs officers found the bullets in the official’s hand-carry.
Police began investigating the matter on Sept 12 after CAA director Joseph Kinta informed Police Commissioner Gari Baki and ask for their assistance.
This was after CAA had got consent from the Attorney-General’s Office.
“The trouble is we have no jurisdiction to investigate an offence committed in another country … and we have not found any evidence to connect him (named) to the incident,” Mr Huafolo said.
He blamed the frequent breakdown of detection machines at the airports for such incidents.
Singapore police at Changi Airport had told The National that the official was held for an hour at the airport but released after PNG diplomats intervened.
The official told The National that he was cleared by the Singapore police but the CAA maintained otherwise.
Mr Huafolo, who had earlier admitted that it would be a difficult case to pursue, said the police would continue to investigate.