Judge changed for cop facing double murder charge

THE policeman charged with the killing of two men at Garden Hills in Port Moresby last year made his first appearance before Justice Teresa Berrigan yesterday.
On mentioning the case at the Waigani National Court, lawyer representing Komeng Gubag, 34, from Sumkar’s Wakon village in Madang, advised that the two judges who previously presided over the case disqualified themselves.
Gubag’s lawyer David Dotaona said acting judges Laura Wawun-Kuvi and Tracy Ganaii disqualified themselves because they knew Gubag, who was a frontline policeman.
Dotaona then briefed Berrigan on the case because she had not yet received Gubag’s file after it was transferred by Justice David Cannings last week.
He said Gubag’s charge should be downgraded to manslaughter from wilful murder because the killings were not planned.
“The case is about some people in the settlement hit by the bullets that were fired by some policemen,” he said.
“And also, there is no firearm in the exhibits to show the gun that was used to kill them.”
Justice Berrigan adjourned that case to Sept 20 for mention.