Kapris shows remorse in court

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
ALLEGED Bank South Pacific robbery mastermind William Kapris yesterday apologised to the nation for his actions.
He made the apology three times as he implicated three parliamentarians, a businessman living at Hohola two and some policemen for provi­ding uniforms and surveillance du­ring the Metal Refinery Operations (MRO) and BSP Madang branch.
He made the apology in court as partly completed pre-sentence re­ports and the administration of allocutus in the case took all day.
Kapris told his story beginning  with his personal life and upbringing by a single divorced mother.
He said he came from a family of 13 children and that forced him into going into a life of crime.
Kapris said it was during his life in the underworld with big name crimi­nals in Kimbe and Port Moresby that he began the cycle of repeated es­capes only to be introduced to some prominent people.
He said he was only doing the dirty job for them in getting the 15 gold bars, five weighing 10kg and 10 weighing 20kg with K1 million in cash that financed the 2007 elections for the sitting MPs.
He said it was that money that made major investment deals for the businessman and the MPs even ta­king him to Singapore to see some of the property and businesses bought.
“Of this money, K100,000 was given to me by the businessman and I was sent to Kimbe to lie low,” he said.
The court was told that from Kimbe, he was called to do the Madang heist.
He said the Madang heist, like the MRO robbery, was an inside job.
Kapris said he used a dinghy from Kimbe to Lae and then Madang.
He said he met some of his accomplices in Lae.
During the trial, it was found that 12 of the co-accused were, in one way or another, accomplices who either had knowledge, participated or received proceeds all with the BSP Madang seal still intact.
However, yesterday, in a show of remorse, Kapris said: “Your worship I want to say sorry to the government and the people of this nation.”
He said three times at different intervals he tried to take the fall for all the other co-accused by telling judge David Cannings that all the others were in no way involved in the planning or execution of the robberies.
“This case is a big case and these people here (turning and pointing at the co-accused seated), are simple people who have no knowledge of how to execute such crimes,” he said.
He told Cannings to consider ha­ving him moved to Lakiemata jail in Kimbe so he could be close to family; that he was no longer a security threat; that he was a human being who had already decided on chan­ging for the better,.
“Mi sorry long pasin mi kamapim. Bikpela distebens mi mekim long country bilong yumi. Mi apologise long gavman em spendim over K1.3 million long dispel case blong mi where em I ken spendim mani long sampela hap, sorry long BSP management blong putting pret inside long ol na long ol sitizen blo dispel kantri. (I am sorry for my actions. My actions have caused great disturbance for the people of this country. I apologise to the government for spending over K1.3 million on this case when it should be spending this money elsewhere. I apologise to the management of BSP for instilling fear into them and to the citizens of this country),” he said.
The matter has been adjourned to 9.30am Monday for others to give their allocutus.