Five charged following abduction

National

By Lemach Lavari
Five people have been charged with kidnapping, deprivation of freedom and threatening following the abduction of a Chimbu woman at the 9-Mile Cemetery in Port Moresby two weeks ago.
A police officer, who wished to remain anonymous, told The National that the woman (name withheld), 50, from Sinesine-Yongomugl, was accused of causing the death of an in-law through sorcery.
She told police that the deceased, a woman, was run over and killed by a bus early this year and the matter was before traffic police.
But the husband of the deceased sought the aid of a female witchdoctor from Chuave, Chimbu, who told him that the complainant had cast a spell to cause the deceased to lose her life in the accident.
“The complainant was selling garden produce at a roadside market at 14-Mile, outside Port Moresby on Oct 14 when she was abducted at around 6pm,” the police officer said.
“She claimed that she was taken to the 9-Mile Cemetery where she was tied up and questioned but she denied the allegations and was released by her captors. She then reported the incident to police that evening.”
Police arrested two relatives of the deceased, the witchdoctor and two others the next day, the officer said.
Those charged are on bail and are expected to appear  in court this week, the officer said.