Fight over Facebook, accused says

By TREVOR WAHUNE
A JUDGE presiding over the death case of former Miss PNG Ruby-Ann Laufa, pictured, will visit places witnesses alleged to have seen the accused, Richard Namaliu, assault her before her death.
Justice Teresa Berrigan in the Waigani National Court yesterday said she would visit sites at the University of PNG today, the staff residential area, purposely to determine different versions of testimonies heard in court following Namaliu’s not guilty plea for manslaughter.
Namaliu, who testified as the only defence witness, told the court that Laufa had argued with him over him reactivating his Facebook account at the time of the incident.
“Ruby-Ann was mad with me for reactivating my Facebook account,” he told court. “I told her that I needed to be on Facebook because I used it as a marketing tool for my small businesses.
“She was acting violently by slapping and kicking me in the car from where I picked her up (at Laufa’s residence) to the Fort Bena security base.
“I punched her using my elbow to calm her down, but after that she gave threats to jump out of the moving vehicle.
“I used the car’s central lock to lock all the doors.
“But seconds later, I was surprised her door was already wide open, then she jumped out.”
Namaliu also told the court that Laufa had other issues affecting her at the time. He said Laufa had told him that her father used to tell her that she was an embarrassment to the family and that if she failed her courses at the PNG Legal Training Institute, she would be removed from their family house.
When questioned if he had gone out drinking the night before (Feb 10, 2017) the incident, Namaliu said he was with his cousins at a nightclub, where he and seven others shared a tower.
Namaliu said this was after he had dropped Laufa off at her house at around 1.30am (Feb 11) after being with her from 9pm (Feb 10)
After the party, he said he and his cousins went to one of their residence at 5-Mile, where he had a glass of whisky.
That was at around 7am on Feb 11, according public prosecutor’s lawyer David Kuvi.
Namaliu also denied claims that he was speeding through the university roads at the time and that he did not start assaulting Laufa from their house, as claimed by state witnesses.
“My cars glasses are 80 per cent tinted,” he said.
“This includes the ones on the doors and no-one can see through them.”
However, Kuvi objected saying all the glasses were fully tinted except for the front windshield that was only tinted about 20 per cent.
“You drove out of Laufa’s house at an angle where your car was faced towards a witness where he could see you clearly assaulting Laufa,” Kuvi said.
Meanwhile, the case was adjourned to Nov 11 for submissions, for the court to hear arguments on the issues regarding the acts of Laufa and the assaults.
Namaliu, 28, from Raluana village in Kokopo, East New Britain, is alleged to have driven to Laufa’s home at Fort Bena inside the University of PNG campus and picked her up at around 10am on Feb 11, allegedly drunk.
State witnesses alleged that Namaliu punched Laufa several times in his vehicle one-two hours before he texted Laufa’s friends and family that she was involved in an accident.
Laufa allegedly tried to evade the assaults and fell out of the car.
She was pronounced dead at 3pm, Feb 11.