Case of locals in drug bust adjourned for police to probe

By BOURA GORUKILA
A COURT has adjourned the cases of three locals allegedly involved in the K160 million drug bust to allow police time to correct the information on the additional charges submitted yesterday.
Waigani Magistrate Dessie Kaputin Magaru adjourned the case to Sept 4 after she found the information on the additional charges defective.
“Before I read the charges to the defendants, I have gone through the fresh information and found that the information is defective,” Magaru said.
“The provision which they were charged with, the wording of the charge does not state the property value that was concealed.”
She said the section of the law cited was wrong.
“The new information is to be withdrawn. We will adjourn for the prosecution to correct the information and file new information,” Magistrate Magaru said. Dominic Telauki Terupa, Morgan Mogu, and Shane Dikana are facing various charges related to the drug bust on July 26 outside Port Moresby.
Terupa, 34, of Mortlock in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Mogu, 35, of Abau in Central, and Dikana, 31, of Lealea village, Kairuku/Hiri, Central are remanded at the Bomana Correctional Service.
In addition, the cases of the Australian aircraft pilot David John Cutmore and Italian yacht owner Carlo D’Attanasio facing charges under the Customs Act and the Pandemic Act in relation to the same drug bust have been adjourned to Sept 7 for mention.
Cutmore, 52, is charged with one count of conveying smuggled goods under the Customs Act and one count of unauthorised air travel under the Pandemic Act.
D’Attanasio, 52, is charged with two counts of smuggling prohibited goods under the Customs Act.