Explain summons delay, police told

 By JAMES APA GUMUNO

A SENIOR magistrate in Western Highlands is demanding an explanation from the police as to why they had not served a summons on Treasury Minister and Kandep MP Don Polye.

Magistrate Jeremiah Singomat said he did not know why the police passed the summons around in their department without serving it on Polye, but he said he would get to the bottom of the case.

A police investigation team obtained the summons against Polye after searching one of his houses at Avi Block, Jiwaka, on October 4, 2011, and found unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The firearms include two Maverick pump action guns, serial numbers, MV 79570N and MV 06092N, eight live 12-gauge rounds bullets and 22.30 rounds.

Singomat said the summons was taken out in April last year and he could not understand why it took so long to serve it.

He said when he summoned police investigator Ronney Mitau yesterday morning into the court room and demanded to know why the summons had not been served.

“The people will wonder whether there are two sets of rules, one for the big people and another for the small,” said Singomat.

Mitau told the court he flew to Port Moresby on March 3 last year to arrest Polye over the unlicensed firearms and ammunition charges but on March 19, officer-in-charge of the criminal investigation division in Mt Hagen, Snr Insp Michael Wells called him to withdraw from the investigation and to return to Mt Hagen as soon as possible.

Mitau said in April last year he gave the summons to outgoing provincial police commander Supt Kaiglo Ambane to seek funding to travel and serve the summons.

He said Ambane faxed the summons to assistant commissioner police crime, Mark Kanawi.

According to a letter written by Ambane, dated April 10 last year and tendered in court by police prosecutor John Kerowa, Ambane had asked Kanawi to advise his (Kanawi’s) men to serve the summons on Polye.

In his reply to Ambane dated, April 24, last year and tendered in court, Kanawi said police must proceed as normal, not send anyone to Port Moresby and referred the matter to Highlands divisional commander Teddy Tei.

Tei reportedly told Ambane to get their legal officer in headquarters to pursue the matter.

Mitau and Kerowa told the court they had not seen any reply from the legal officer.

Singomat ordered the two policemen to return to court on July 7 with a copy of that letter and brief him.