Court rejects request to withdraw murder case

By DILU WENA
A MAGISTRATE has rejected a request that the charge of murder against six men be dropped because the relatives of the victim have accepted K30,000 in compensation payment.
Magistrate Ernest Wilmot also warned Senior Constable Philip Otto, the arresting officer who passed on the request to the court, that he should respect the court process.
“It’s an offence so it should be dealt with by the court. We will let the court make decisions according to the mitigating factors,” he said.
The accused, all from Tari in Hela, are Hamika Takira, 21, from Kunuh village; Rex Andako, 40, from Japira; Tobby Pugali, 20, from Halogol; Hangu Wayaka, 28, from Hologoli; Nelson Paya, 29, from Waralo; and Sombi Tamika, 18, from Tindima. They are accused of killing Mukey Hangonivi, from Eastern Highlands, on Dec 16 last year at around 5am at the Wildlife Settlement in Port Moresby.
Otto, from the Gordon Police Station, told Magistrate Wilmot in the Waigani Committal Court that the relatives of the deceased had already received K30,000 as compensation and another K30,000 would be paid if the case was withdrawn.
“I had no option but this is the wish and desire of the relatives of the deceased. So I had to write to the prosecutor about the desire of the complainants,” Otto said.
Magistrate Wilmot told Otto that he was bypassing the court process and as a police officer, he should know better. The six are remanded at Bomana.