Drug bust case adjourned as more evidence surfaces

By BOURA GORUKILA
THE cases of three locals and two foreigners allegedly involved in last month’s K160 million drug bust outside Port Moresby have been adjourned after police uncovered evidence which warrants additional charges.
Waigani Magistrate Dessie Kaputin Magaru ordered that the cases be recalled on Sept 1 after the prosecution applied for a week’s adjournment.
Dominic Telauki Terupa, Morgan Mogu and Shane Dikana appeared in court with Italian yacht owner Carlo D’Attanasio and Australian aircraft pilot David John Cutmore on various charges related to the drug bust.
“These proceedings are under the Customs Act and Pandemic Act and we have to deal with them immediately.
“It is unlike the committal proceedings where police are given three months as a reasonable time to conduct investigations and submit their file,” she said.
“Therefore I will grant the prosecution’s application for a week’s adjournment as they say that they have uncovered new evidence and need to lay additional charges against the accused,” Magaru said.
Terupa 34, of Mortlock in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Mogu, 35 of Abau in Central and Dikana, 31, of Lealea village, Kairuku-Hiri, Central are remanded at the Bomana Correctional Service.
D’Attanasio and Cutmore are at the refugee detention centre.
Terupa, Mogu and Dika na are charged with aiding foreigners and smuggling prohibited goods.
D’Attanasio is charged with two counts of smuggling prohibited goods.
Cutmore is charged with one count of conveying smuggled goods one count of unauthorised air travel.