By JULIA DAIA BORE
CHIEF Magistrate John Numapo has strongly condemned the attack of one of his senior magistrates and urged police to investigate the matter and arrest those responsible.
This is a matter that the police investigators in Port Moresby are treating with immediate and special attention and metropolitan Supt Fred Yakasa told The National late yesterday that arrests and charges were likely to take place today.
He said this follows initial interviews of a total of 37 prime male suspects last weekend and yesterday.
The interviews were part of the investigation into the killing of Ivo Cappo last Saturday.
According to Supt Yakasa, some of prime suspects are as young as 16
Meanwhile, Mr Numapo, speaking from Honiara, Solomon Islands, where he is currently on an official trip, said: “I condemn that attack in the strongest term possible and urge the police to quickly investigate and arrest those responsible.”
He added that “it is with great sadness to receive news of the death of principal magistrate Ivo Cappo”.
Mr Numapo said the Magisterial Services had lost one of its most experienced senior magistrates in Mr Cappo.
“It will be difficult to replace him.”
Mr Numapo added that the loss came at a time when the Magisterial Services could ill-afford to lose magistrates.
Mr Numapo was in Honiara to hold discussions with the Solomon Islands’ chief justice Sir Albert Palmer, the permanent secretary for justice and minister for Law and Justice to review and discuss the memorandum of understanding between the PNG and Solomon Islands governments on the deployment of PNG Magistrates to Solomon Islands under its Judicial Assistance Programme.
Mr Numapo’s call was echoed by a statement from both the president and general-secretary of the Amalgamated General Workers’ Union, who called on the National government to “act swiftly and promptly to apprehend those criminals who had unnecessarily taken one of the country’s faithful serving sons who contributed towards delivering justice.
Helen Are’e and Andrew Kandakasi had expressed their disappointment in how the Government had dealt with the refugee issue.
Meanwhile, Engan leaders met mourners, who gathered yesterdays outside the Kone Tigers Oval in Waigani, praised the family and relatives of the late Ivo Cappo for their continuing good behaviour in maintaining peace and not taking the law into their own hands in retaliation against the death of their own.