Man sentenced to 2 years for possessing firearm

A 21-YEAR-OLD father of one was given a two-yearn jail time for an illegal possession of firearms, live ammunitions and escaping from police custody.
Goroka Court Magistrate Gerard Vetunawa sentenced Oripa Lapen, from Nambayufa’s Pira village in Chuave, Chimbu, after he pleaded guilty to all three counts of charges.
Vetunawa jailed Lapen for eight months with hard labour for each of the three charges.
According to police investigations, Lapen used physical violence to threaten and rob two Filipino workers of Vamed Construction Company who were working at the Goroka General Hospital.
Police arrested and detained him last year.
He escaped and was on the run until early this month when he was seen at Goroka market.
The police with the help of bystanders surrounded Lapen, conducted a body search and seized a handmade pistol and two rounds of ammunition in his waist pouch.
Lapen was detained at the Goroka Police Station.
Lapen also admitted escaping through the roof of the police cell with other remandees.