Committal Court grants bail for arson suspect

A MADANG man who appeared before the Lae Committal Court for the 2004 burning down of an alcohol distributing depot at the Chayter Avenue in Eriku was released on  K500 bail yesterday.
The case has been adjourned to March 31 for the committal hearing.
Joseph Fron, 37, of Konguan village, Bogia, was apprehended at a compound located next to SP Brewery Ltd along Air Corps Road.
He was charged for willfully and unlawfully setting fire to the Live Lave distributing depot, housed at the Chayter Avenue, Eriku, Lae, contravening section 436 (a) of the Criminal Code, Chapter 262.
Police files in court alleged that on July 25, 2004, at 7pm, he and three other people, arrived at the bulk store in a Mazda double cab, owned by the Papindo Trading Company.
It was also alleged that while they were there, the defendant poured kerosene on empty cartons and set fire to the Live Lave distributing warehouse.
The fire turned into a huge blaze and eventually burned the whole building that housed other tenants as well.
It was also alleged that the defendant and his accomplices had the intention to destroy the operations of the Goroka-based New Guinea Fruits Company’s distributing depot.
The company produces the alcohol product Live Lave.
The defendant and his three accomplices were paid K15,000 each by an SP Brewery agent to execute the offence, it was alleged.