Magistrate: Uni students should be intellectuals

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 30th May 2013

 UNIVERSITY students should be intellectuals and not law-breakers, a magistrate said yesterday while fining two for being in possession of alcohol in campus.

Albert Buda and Israel Gambi, first-year students at the PNG University of Technology in Lae, Morobe, were caught with six cans of beer in a bag when they tried to run away from security guards at the gate. 

The incident happened on May 24 at the Taraka campus. 

Both admitted the offence, although Buda claimed some of what the security guard said were fabricated.

Magistrate Nasaling Bingtau said: “The university has a zero tolerance policy on alcohol on campus. 

“You were with alcohol on campus. You have broken the school’s law.”

Buda argued that the policy was ineffective because people continued to consume alcohol on campus.

Bingtau told him: Well, if you follow it, then it will be effective. Go back and tell you other friends not to get drunk.”

Bingtau converted their K300 bail into court fines and acquitted them. 

He warned them that the next time they appeared before him, they would end up in jail.