Court strikes out forgery charge

A MAGISTRATE struck out charges against a young man at the Waigani Commital Court because police have charged him for an offence he had not committed.
Kanop Aia, 25, from Goilala in Central was charged with eight counts of forgery and uttering and appeared in court from custody.
Magistrate Mekeo Gauli whilst reading out Aia’s charges found out that he had been charged before he actually committed the offences.
“How can police blindly charge a person when he or she has not yet committed the offences?
“It is not proper for a person to be charged before the actual offence is committed. Some of Aia’s alleged charges were defective as they were laid against him when he has not actually committed the offences,” Gauli said.
Of the eight counts Gauli struck out four. Aia was charged on one occasion for forgery and uttering on Feb 6, while information on the charge was submitted on Feb 11, which meant that he was charged five days before he committed the offence.
Gauli granted Aia a K600 bail and asked his aunt (guarantor) to pay K200 as surety to ensure that Aia be present in court at all times and followed the bail conditions.
The substantive matter is expected to return on March 29.
Police alleged that between Feb 3 and Feb 11, on four occasions Aia got a BSP bank withdrawal form at BSP Haus Konedobu in Port Moresby, under the name of another (Damien Pasi) and got some money.
The complainant allegedly reported the matter and Aia was arrested and charged later.