K500 fine for stealing from family

By JACINTA COHLEE
A MAN charged with stealing was fined K500 in default five months’ jail at Buimo Prison by a Lae district court on Wednesday.
The police prosecutor confirmed from the arresting officer that Mepin Ina, 32, from Raku village in Kagua, Southern Highlands, stole properties but returned them to the owner.
Magistrate Pious Tapil told Ina that he was charged because he stole his family’s properties and sold them.
Ina told the court that he did that because his brother-in-law did not pay his sister’s bride price.
Tapil told Ina: “Your reasons are invalid, you cannot demand your sister’s bride price.
“It should have been your uncles from the village demanding your in-law for the bride price.”
Police told the court that on June 2, at Kamkumung in Lae, Morobe, Ina went to Terry Kundipas’ residence at Kamkumung village.
It was alleged that he stole a box which contained a 21-inch TV and a play box.
Ina then allegedly sold the items for K200 at the Awagasi market.
Police summary in court stated that after selling the items, Ina went into hiding at the Banana Block, also in Kamkumung, where he resided.
The court heard that on June 8, Ina was sighted at the Top Town bus stop by the complainant.
The complainant then quickly alerted the police.
He was then apprehended by the police and arrested.