Court orders arrest of man

 THE Waigani Committal Court has ordered the arrest of a Western Highlands man charged with sexual penetration involving two minors after he failed to appear last Thursday.

Magistrate Cosmas Bidar granted the application for an arrest warrant by Police Prosecutor Chief Sergeant Polon Koniu after the defendant, Pakanda Las, failed to appear on charges of sexual penetration, deprivation of liberty and abduction.

Koniu said at a hearing on Feb 11 that the defendant had travelled to Mt Hagen without their knowledge and had since not appeared in court.

However, his co-accused Frank John and Ganlma Samuel – both from Sinasina-Yongumugl in Chimbu – appeared in court where their statements were submitted through their lawyer from the Public Solicitor’s Office.

Bidar told the court that a ruling on John and Samuel’s statements would be handed down this Thursday while Las’ case was returnable for review on March 31.