Court directs arresting officer to explain delay

A COMMITTAL Court in Waigani has issued directions to the arresting officer in carriage of the murder case of 18-year-old Kimorly Dagoba in Gordon, Port Moresby to inform the court on the progress of police files and delay in investigations, when the case next returns on Mar 14.
Magistrate Albert Daniels issued the direction yesterday when six policemen and a police informer, charged with the alleged murder of the boy, made their second court appearance.
“I am issuing a direction for the arresting officer to inform the court on March 14, in an affidavit as to why the delay in investigations and the progress and readiness of the police hand-up-brief,” he said.
Daniels issued the direction after he was informed by the policemen that they were yet to be taken in for their record of interview.
Police alleged that the seven-regular policemen Const Wanpis Bone, Sebilen Saluali and Fredrick Seri, reservists Mel Taime, Wayne Tali and Christopher Tokana and informer Joseph Ronnie killed Kimorly on Nov 28.
Police said the seven, armed with a rifle and pump action shotgun, were driving around Gordon area at 1am on Nov 28 in a police hired vehicle, a white Toyota land cruiser.
While on patrol, they came across a Toyota Hilux at Boroko, leading into Eda Ranu and Works Compound, parked in the middle of the road with hazard lights on. Twelve people were on board.
They searched and found beer in their possession so they told them to get into the Hilux and a policeman drove it, escorted by the land cruiser.
Eight suspects were sitting in the back trailer.
Five of them jumped off the vehicle and escaped when they were about to reach the Gordon Police Station.
Police said the charged policemen, after realising that the suspects had escaped, searched and arrested a suspect who was hiding in the drain and another one who was trying to flee the scene in a taxi.
They were unable to locate the other three.
Kimorly, who was alleged to have been one of the suspects who jumped off the vehicle, was found at 5am in the drain between Corner Stone Church and Gordon Police Station.
The seven men were later identified and detained after further investigations.
A doctor who carried out a post-mortem, reported that the cause of the death was from a force trauma to the chest and head from a blunt object.