Father and six sons in court after man dies in knife attack

A VILLAGE court magistrate and his six sons appeared before the Vanimo District Court charged with the killing a man over a land dispute in West Sepik.
Senior Provincial Magistrate Sasa Inkung said that Simon Moap, from Teles village, Aitape District, and his sons were among eight suspects who were accused of killing a man with knives and spears at Teles village last month.
Inkung said yesterday that Simon, his sons David, 20, Peter, 22, Luke, 19, Francis, 21, and Roland, 19, and Spencer Aro and Pais Salkai were each charged with willful murder.
They were remanded in custody to appear before the same court on April 6.
Inkung said the men were accused of killing a man after chasing him down.
“One of the suspects’ relative had chopped the man’s cocoa trees over land dispute,” the magistrate said.
“The man retaliated and chopped the suspects’ relative’s cocoa trees down.
“Then the suspects mobilised and confronted the man and broke into an argument.
“The man then attacked one of the suspects and the suspects retaliated by attacking him.
“The man then ran away but the suspects chased him. While running the tripped on a tree root and fell.
“The suspects reached him and chopped him. The man was rushed to the Raihu Health centre but died there through loss of blood.”