I’m innocent, says cop

National, Normal
Source:

JACOB POK PASO

A POLICE officer, alleged to have been involved in the killing of senior court magistrate Ivo Cappo in 2007, appeared before a judge at the Waigani National Court yesterday and maintained his innocence.
Micky Lausi, a police officer attached to Waigani sector patrol base, was alleged to be among three other suspects who were charged with the killing of Mr Cappo.
The other three are, Arno Kafiar, David Koivi and Christopher Waromi, all from the West Papuan region of Indonesia, and living as refugees in PNG. 
Lausi is alleged to be one of the two PNG suspects involved in the killing of Mr Cappo.
He was identified while the two others were alleged to have escaped the scene at the time of the incident and was unidentified. 
Earlier, witnesses alleged that Lausi was the one who threw a stone at Mr Cappo’s car which broke the windscreen and hit Mr Cappo on the chest, and resulted in the death.   
During the trial yesterday, Lausi denied that he was the person who threw the stone.
He said he was also not involved in any fight during the time of incident on Oct 19, 2007.
He told the court that witnesses had mistakenly identified him wearing a white shirt as he was wearing a blue T-shirt during the time of the incident.
He told the court that he was off-duty and was drinking with some boys near a car park area, some distance from the scene.
Lausi said he heard a loud noise and rushed to the scene of the accident but never went close to where late Mr Cappo’s car was.
He said he stood 10m away.
He alleged that he went back to the car park to join the boys after a short while. 
Other witnesses also gave their evidences and the trial was completed as yesterday afternoon.
National Court judge Justice Bernard Sakora adjourned the matter for a week for lawyers to prepare their final submissions.