Court frees mother after officer fails to name complainant

A MOTHER of two has been freed by the Mt Hagen District Court after the arresting officer failed to state the name of the complainant on the information paper given to the court.
Magistrate Donald Joseph yesterday said that there was no complainant, struck out the case and ordered the defendant’s bail money of K200 refunded.
Roselyn Jonathan, from Kurkur village in the Lumusa-Baiyer district, was arrested on April 3 for starting a fight at 3-Kona in Mt Hagen city.
Police said the defendant had an argument with a person during the day. It was alleged that at around 7.15pm, the defendant went back to the complainant’s house with her two sons – Rodney and Peter Jonathan – and attacked the complainant in the kitchen.
Police told the court that the defendant had an argument with the complainant over a piece of land.
Jonathan entered a guilty plea when the charge was read out but police prosecutor Sam Nili did not mention the complainant in the statement of facts.
The magistrate intervened and asked for the name. The prosecutor told the court that the arresting officer did not state the name of the complainant. Police called for the complainant but the complainant was not present in the courtroom.
Josepi told the prosecutor that in that case, there was no complainant in the case.
He said there was a defect on the documents presented to court and he could not proceed with the case.