Court strikes out theft case

A CASE that started 10 years ago over an alleged theft of alluvial gold dust worth K150,000 was struck out by the Waigani Committal Court yesterday due to lack of  evidence.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar told the court that the case started between May and June 2006 when a kilogramme of fine gold dust, valued at K150,000, was allegedly stolen by a Chimbu man, John Thomas, who lived at Woitape in Central.
Bidar told the court that Thomas denied the charge of stealing.
According to court reports, five witnesses gave evidence.
Bidar said out of the five witnesses, the main witness was the owner of the gold.
The court was told that Thomas and two others gave statements as well.
Bidar told the court that the owner of the gold dust was also from Chimbu.
He said the standard of proof should be guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
“The court sees the reports as secondary evidence,” Bidar said.
“Evidence must be clear as a proof to convict the defendant.”
He told the court that the statements said a gold nugget was stolen and it became gold dust.