Court dismisses case of police officer accused of using unauthorised force

By ALPHONSE PORAU
A policeman accused of establishing an unauthorised force in Port Moresby early this year had his case dismissed in court last Thursday.
Jimmy Maiko, 53, from Karama village, Gulf, was accused of establishing, organising, equipping and assisting a body of persons.
These persons, namely sons and daughters of police personnel with police uniforms, purported to exercise police powers at Gordon bus stop.
Maiko was alleged to have done that without the police commissioner’s approval.
He also did not enter into an agreement with any other organisation within the police community relation directorate.
Waigani Committal Court magistrate Cosmas Bidar ruled there was no negative response from police on the case.
Bidar said the case has been in court for three months without any files being served to the defendant.
The court therefore made a decision to have the case dismissed.
Bidar said the court found that there was correspondence between Maiko and other senior officers to raise an auxiliary force to address continuous petty crimes at the market.
It was in a preparatory stage when police went on to charge him but not others who were also involved in planning.
“I find that it is unfair that only the defendant was charged of committing the offence and not others,” Bidar said.
“There is no response from police on the case, therefore, the court has found the evidence to be insufficient and orders for the case to be dismissed and bail refunded.”