Court adjourns ruling on search warrant case

WAIGANI Committal Court Magistrate Dessie Magaru has adjourned Agriculture and Livestock secretary Daniel Kombuk’s ruling on an application filed to set aside a search warrant to tomorrow.
Magistrate Magaru said she returned from Wabag on duty travel and was not ready with the ruling.
Police prosecutor Sgt John Wamugl and Kombuk’s council Alice Kimbu had no objections to the adjournment.
Kimbu said the search warrant and court order issued on Jan 16 was defective on the grounds that there was no information and no affidavit in support when the search warrant was conducted on Jan 20 by police, where they obtained documents of interest and other documents vital to allegations levelled against Kombuk.
She argued that it was a breach of section 6 of the Search Act.
“Section 6 of the Search Act is very clear that when you want to get a search warrant, it should be supported by information on oath,” Kimbu said.
Kimbu submitted for the search warrant to be revoked and the court order set aside because there was no evidence to support the search warrant that was issued against Kombuk.