Men charged with drug possession, unlicensed firearm case adjourned

THE Lae committal court postponed to next month a case of Madang’s Lord Mayor Ishmael Yama and six other men charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm, live ammunitions and dangerous drugs (marijuana) because the presiding magistrate was away.
The court postponed the hearing to March 20, as magistrate Pious Tapil was in Moresby.
According to police prosecutor Snr Sgt Vincent Suakai, a no-case submission would be filed by him and the defence on March 2 before a ruling on March 20.
Yama and a councillor in the Madang urban local level government, Mathew Madeler, are on a K3,000 National Court bail each.
The court heard that Yama, 27, from Usino-Bundi, Madang, was charged with two counts of being in possession of dangerous drugs.
Yama was also charged with being in possession of an unlicensed firearm with live ammunitions and pornographic material.
Madeler, 32, from Karavi village in Kokopo, East New Britain, was charged with possession of dangerous drug.
A defence lawyer provided documents in court during the first mention that the firearm was registered to Yama with its licence and permit. But Yama did not provide those documents to the police during his arrest.
Kapinias Junior Umong, from Rabaul, East New Britain, had an additional charge of having pornographic materials in his mobile phone. Philemon Albert, 23, from Malaguna in Rabaul, East New Britain, Pedro Tobi, 21, from Nawaeb, Morobe, Henry Michael, 29, from Yabob in Madang, Philip Tamor, 26, from Manam in Bogia, Madang, Tim Willie, 28, from Kompri in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, are all on a K300 district court bail.