40-yr-old man accused of murder

A 40-year-old-man accused of murdering a woman was told by the Lae Committal Court yesterday that it could not deal with his bail application as only the National Court had the right to do that.
Magistrate Tera Dawai told Steven Kiru, 40, from Kagua in Southern Highlands and a resident of Lae at 3-Mile that the court did not have jurisdiction to allow bail for offenders of wilful murders. However, he could apply for bail at the National Court through a proper bail application.
Kiru was charged with the wilful murder of Jayliztah Alo Pale.
Police reports alleged that the offence was committed on July 4 at DPI Mountain in 3-Mile outside Lae between 7pm and 8pm.
Meanwhile, a man appeared in the same court accused of stealing nine cartons of cigarettes worth more than K81,000 belonging to a company in Manus.
He allegedly stole them while travelling on a ship between Lae, Vanimo, and Manus last month.
Robin Erick, 30, from Djaul Island in Kavieng district in New Ireland, appeared before Magistrate Tera Dawai in the committal court.
Police file released by Police Prosecutor Snr Const Orpha Nathan stated that the incident occurred between Aug 16 and 27 when a vessel used for conveyance by Consort Express Lines Limited was shipping goods from Lae to Vanimo and then to Manus.
Magistrate Dawai granted the accused bail for K300 and adjourned the case to Dec 23.