Former cop to know ruling next week

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
A FORMER auxiliary policeman will know his fate next Thursday when the Waigani National Court delivers a ruling on his sentence. Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika heard final arguments on sentence before adjourning the case of Noel Moimo, of Korine village in Goilala, Central, to June 17 for sentencing after he had pleaded guilty to murder. Moimo’s lawyer submitted for a sentence of 12 years, asking the court to take into consideration the circumstance of the case. He said the maximum penalty of life in prison was reserved for the worst case. He told the court that the mitigating factors included Moimo pleading guilty, a first-time offender, the murder was not pre-planned and he had cooperated with police.
State Prosecutor Andrew Kaipu called for a sentence between 16 and 20 years since the case fell within the second category on the sentencing range for homicide cases set out in Manu Koivi vs State. Kaipu said the aggravating factors included a life lost, use of a dangerous weapon (bush knife), it was used on a vulnerable part of the victim’s body and Moimo, being an auxiliary policeman, should have known better. On March 30, 2019, at Tapini Station in Central, the deceased got into a fight with policeman Sgt Dedei Rara who insisted the deceased go to the Tapini police station regarding an alleged incident that took place the day before, but he refused. The deceased then went to his kitchen, got a bush knife and attacked Sgt Rara. Moimo came to intervene but was cut by the deceased so he took off, got his bush knife and chased the deceased and his brother up towards a hill. Moimo caught up with the deceased and chopped him on his forehead and he fell on the ground, dead. The small brother upon seeing that, got up and shot Moimo with an arrow which he was initially armed with during the fight. Few minutes later, two co-accused with Moimo and other armed men ran towards the deceased and cut him.