Case sheds light on challenges

CIVIL Aviation Safety Authority’s (Casa) lawyer Carol Jaran says the David Cutmore cocaine case has brought to light how difficult it is trying to find appropriate help and assistance in the legal and judicial systems.
Jaran told The National that the case not only challenged the legal system and the coordination between Government bodies but extended it to national security and capabilities of the nation.
“The case brought to light how difficult it is trying to find appropriate help and (the appropriate) Government department in this matter (to take) the lead,” she said.
“The (difficulty in finding ) the appropriate legislation to have him arrested and charged appropriately relating to the drugs.”
Cutmore, 52, from Australia, was the pilot of Cessna 402C a twin-engine aircraft with registration number VHTSI that crash-landed on a strip of land on July 26 last year at Papa-Lealea outside Port Moresby. He is charged under the Civil Aviation Act with operating an aircraft in an area likely to cause danger to people and operating it (aircraft) in PNG without holding appropriate aviation documents.
Cutmore will appear tomorrow for arraignment after his application for dismissal was rejected.
He has criminal charges related to the biggest cocaine bust in the country pending.
Jaran said the reason Cutmore’s aircraft was not detected by air traffic controllers within the PNG airspace was that he turned off his transponder.
“The State lacks the capabilities to detect aircraft within our airspace if they opt to turn off their transponder, which raises issue of national security,” she said.
“The lack of coordination between relevant Government agencies is obvious in this matter and questions the objectives of having central agencies coordinating committees.”