Lawyer asked to show evidence

LAWYER Justin Haiara has been told to show the Waigani Committal Court evidence that his client, businessman Erasmas Wartoto, has been suffering from hypertension.
Haiara told a committal court in Waigani yesterday that Wartoto was still suffering from hypertension in Australia and could not appear.
But magistrate Cosmas Bidar told Haiara to substantiate why Wartoto had been failing to appear in court.
Bidar said there was no medical evidence to substantiate whether he was sick.
“There is no evidence before this court.
“Haiara must present the evidence in court,” Bidar said.
“But there are other evidence that he is travelling in and out of Australia to other countries.”
Wartoto was scheduled to appear in court yesterday but failed to show making it 11 months since he last appeared in court.
Police prosecutor Sgt Michael Awagl argued that there was no evidence to show Wartoto had been sick or suffering from hypertension.
Wartoto was charged with misappropriation last year.
Police alleged he misappropriated more than K6.7 million of the K7,989,892 education sector infrastructure money allocated for rehabilitation projects for Kerevat National High School.