Two rugby union players appeared before the Waigani Committal Court yesterday, charged with damaging property on a Viva Macau B767 aircraft on Oct 30.
Richard Colombos Mark, from East New Britain, was told that the court would decide whether there was enough evidence to commit him for trial in the National Court.
Mark, who is on K500 bail, had been charged under Section 262(c) of the PNG Civil Aviation Act.
He is alleged to have “caused damage to the armrest of the Viva Macau B767 aircraft on row 62, between seats F, G, and H which was likely to endanger the safety of the aircraft in flight”.
The second rugby union player, Joseph Robert Tuank, 20, from Mendi, Southern Highlands, was charged under Section 4 of the Summary Offences Act for allegedly being drunk in a public place and acting in a manner that disturbed reasonable members of the public.
Robert Tuank is still in police custody, but will appear alongside Mark for mention on Dec 5.
According to court documents, both men were drinking on the flight from Singapore to Port Moresby.
On approaching the Jackson International Airport, the flight crew advised all passengers to be seated and to fasten their seat belts.
Mark and Tuank allegedly continued to walk about the cabin, in a drunkard rowdy behaviour and disturbed the members of the cabin crew and passengers.
When they disembarked, security personnel who were informed, detained them and handed them over to the police.