Careless driving case dismissed

A CASE of negligent driving was struck out in the Waigani District Court on Friday after the victim showed no interest in pursuing the matter.
Magistrate Hubert Sarake discharged Elizah Pitu, from Enga’s Yokos village, for alleged negligent driving after the victim, Lena Tomalia, failed to provide any evidence to the court for a ruling.
The accident was reported to the traffic police in May and the case had been delayed until September, exceeding the mandatory three months to complete investigations.
Defence lawyer Mark Leo told the court that they had yet to be served with any evidence or document regarding the circumstances of the incident.
“The registry doesn’t seem to have any documents, witness statements and it has been four to five months,” he said. “The court should protect its integrity because of the lapse in the completion of police investigations.”
Police prosecutor Sgt Bigam Emmanuel told the court that he was not briefed on the details of the case.