Court urges officers to use new Act

THE Mt Hagen District Court is urging police officers in Western Highlands to charge offenders under correct laws.
Magistrate Donald Joseph said last Friday that the old Summary Offence Act was no longer applied in court so police should not charge offenders under that law.
Joseph said the law was amended to Summary Offence (Amendment) Act 2018.
He said penalty provisions under the amended act were higher than the old act.
“This is the law that currently applies in court,” he said.
He said with cases involving married couple, the alleged offender should be charged under the Family Protection Act.
Joseph discharged Esther Manga, 19, from Hungup village in Mt Hagen Central, on Friday for allegedly assaulting her husband.
Police alleged that Manga hit her husband, Jubili Wess, on the head with a stone and bit his arm on Wednesday at the Kapal Haus footpath in Mt Hagen.
Police told the court that Manga tried to attack a woman, who came with her husband, but she managed to escape and instead attacked her husband.
Joseph said that Manga was supposed to be charged under the Family Protection Act.
He said the arresting officer used the wrong law to charge her and he discharged Manga.
Manga in another case pleaded not guilty on the same day in the district court to damaging Stella Mark’s mobile phone costing K600.
Police told the court that Manga on Aug 29, at Kagamuga Police Barracks, allegedly destroyed Mark’s phone.
The matter was adjourned to the Sept 27 for trial.
Manga would call four witnesses.
Police have two witnesses.
She is on a K200 bail and Joseph told her to maintain peace with the witnesses.