Chinese and friend jailed for drinking in public

By ZACHERY PER
A CHINESE national is among four people sentenced to jail this week for drinking alcohol in public in Goroka, Eastern Highlands.
James Lee, 28, of Fujian province, China, was sentenced to one month in jail with hard labour.
His drinking mate, Tom Peter, 23, of Nagamiufa village, outside Goroka, was given a similar sentence.
They were arrested and charged with drinking alcohol in public.
Police in Goroka on a routine patrol came across the two drinking alcohol in the Kama section of the town.
Lee and Peter were picked up and taken to the police station where they were charged.
They were allowed K100 bail and when the court found them guilty on Tuesday their bail money was returned.
Police said two other people who were arrested and charged with drinking had been jailed as well.
Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Augustine Wampe confirmed one of them was sentenced to one month in jail while the other, who had argued and assaulted a policeman, had been sentenced to 10 months in jail.
“I applaud the Goroka district court for imposing tougher penalties on people who have seen fit to drink in public.
“The penalty should send a deterrent message to many others who are now drinking in public but were not caught.
“I would like to see more convictions on people who are drinking in public, it is increasingly becoming the norm in Goroka,” Wampe said.
He said all the business houses, non-governmental organisations and government institutions backed such sentencing.