Cutmore’s charge queried

By CLARISSA MOI
THE National Court has queried whether the State will charge Australian pilot David John Cutmore with conspiracy involved in the alleged transportation of the country’s largest cocaine haul two years ago.
Judge Theresa Berrigan, presiding at Waigani on Friday, raised this following the State’s advice to the court that it had already got from police an estimated monetary value of cocaine per kilogramme sold in Australia.
The State presented Cutmore’s charge to the court last Monday.
However, Judge Berrigan asked the State to verify the monetary value of the cocaine that was allegedly transported.
When the matter returned on Thursday, Cutmore’s lawyer Friedrich Kirriwom was not in court so the matter was adjourned to Friday.
Kirriwom explained outside court that Cutmore was charged with dealing with criminal property, which is cocaine, described under the Dangerous Drug Act.
He said both the State and defence lawyer agreed to settle with charging Cutmore with receiving cocaine, (money laundering and counter terrorist finance Amended Act 2015), putting it into the plane and unsuccessfully taking off when crashed at Papa-Lealea, Central, on July 25, 2020.
Kirriwom said that was the criminal conduct of the charge (dealing with criminal property.)
However, the court had now raised concern about the conspiracy part of dealing with criminal property, that is, conspiring with somebody in Australia.
The court fixed Aug 1 for the matter to return to court and Cutmore was remanded in Bomana prison.