Locals no help with inquiry

 CORONER Lawrence Kangwia is unhappy with the response of the people of West New Britain at the inquest on the five missing medical scientists.

Kangwia said the key witnesses and others did not cooperate fully at the inquest as he had hoped.

He told reporters on Saturday that he had hoped that a lot of unsolved issues regarding the missing five scientists and three others boat crew members would have 

been answered because the 2011 incident happened in West New Britain.

He said there were contradicting statements by witnesses, lack of cooperation by the police regarding their investigations, differences between police officers and the non-participation of key witnesses because of fear and customary obligations.

“The continuous rain in West New Britain did not make it 

any easier with inquest sessions being adjourned at times due to non-attendance of witnesses and conversations being hardly audible during the heavy rain,” Kangwia said.

“The presence of relatives of police suspects during the inquest seemed to instill fear in some key witnesses, preventing them from speaking freely and revealing vital information.”

The last week of the inquest was held in camera after the coroner realised that the presence of certain individuals in the court room would intimidate some witnesses.

However, Kangwia hinted that the inquest should make its findings by next month.

Members of the inquest team were to travel on the WNB boat mv Artemis to visit the area where the missing people were last seen. But it was cancelled because of engine problem.

The team returned to Port Moresby on Sunday to prepare for the next leg of the inquest in Wewak and Manus.

The inquest will be held in Port Moresby to make it easier for relatives of the missing people to participate in.