Court dismisses drunk driving case on lack of police files

A 21-YEAR-OLD accused of dangerous driving causing the death of another person had his case thrown out by a court as his police file was not before the court.
Michael Toane, from Mori village in Chuave, Chimbu, had his case thrown out by the Central Committal Court when the court found that his police file which was handed to the public prosecutor’s office was not ready.
Toane appeared before Magistrate Marcus Nandape charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and dangerous driving causing the death of Bill Menim, 56, a former chairman of Mineral Resource Star Mountain from Finealbin village, in North Fly, Western.
Magistrate Nandape made orders to throw Toane’s case out and for his bail of K1,500 to be refunded when he found that Toane had appeared in court since April and three months had already passed.
He warned Toane that he would be re-arrested by the police and brought back to court once his police files was elected by the public prosecutor.
On March 16, at 1pm, Toane was alleged to have driven a Toyota Land Cruiser along the Magi Highway with six people in the car, including Menim, who was sitting at the front seat next to Toane, to buy pigs at a village in Rigo, Central.
Toane and the others were alleged to have been drunk except for Menim.
At 3pm while they were travelling from Kalo village, Rigo, to Port Moresby, Toane stopped the vehicle near Kemabolo village after an argument broke out amongst them.
The effect of the argument led Toane, allegedly driving at high speed, to veer off the road but managed to steer the car back onto the road before crossing the lane and into a fence and finally hitting a coconut.
Menim suffered injuries to his head and was rushed to Port Moresby General Hospital but died a week later.
Toane was arrested by the police highway patrol at Gordon on April 9 and charged.