Magistrate blasts police over delay

WAIGANI Committal Court magistrate Fred Tomo ticked off the police last Friday for taking too long to present its brief into the recapture of Bomana prisoner John Peter Plesman.
“The charge is quite straight forward. There is no need to conduct an investigation to put a police brief, why are the police taking so long?
“Due to the prisoner being a known criminal, it shouldn’t take police that long to put a brief together for the charge,” Mr Tomo said.
He told the the police prosecution to look into the matter and inform the court accordingly.
The case was  adjourned to April 29.
Plesman appeared before the Waigani Committal on a charge of escape from lawful custody.
The prosecution informed the court that police information on the prisoner was not ready and
sought an adjournment.
Plesman was among 11 others, including suspected bank robber William Nanua Kapris, who escaped from the Bomana maximum security facility on Jan 12.
He was recaptured four weeks after the escape and was charged under section 139 (1) of the criminal code Act for escaping from lawful custody.
Plesman is also currently serving a National Court sentence of 14 years jail for rape and murder.