Men get 6yrs for stealing firearm

By HEZRON KISING
FOUR men involved in stealing a police firearm in Lae last month were sentenced to a total of six years and three months in prison yesterday.
Lae District Court magistrate Pious Tapil sentenced Noel Steven to 15 months, Peter Vincent, who was the main suspect, to 20 months, and Wilson Sakawi and Elias Akui to 20 months each for their part in stealing state property and being in possession of a dangerous weapon without licence.
The court heard that on June 21 at around 10pm at a street in Eriku, Lae beside Buimo Road Primary School police officer Chief Sergeant Andrew Koalam, who was attached to Morobe rural criminal investigation division, drove an unmarked police vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser 10-seater and parked on side of the road to see family who lived there.
Vincent and two of his accomplices, who were drinking beer nearby, entered the unlocked vehicle and took the firearm, an M4 Colt assault rifle that had 10 (5.56mm) rounds in the magazine, and escaped.
The court heard that police made several requests to the perpetrators (Vincent and his accomplices) to return the gun but did not get a response as they had gone into hiding.
The police were able to ascertain Vincent’s whereabouts on July 3 based on information collected from Kamon Buru, an escapee from Barawagi Prison, Chimbu.
Kamon led police to Boundary Road where Vincent was apprehended and taken into custody.
Vincent told the police he had left the gun with his friend Noel Steven at Klinki St, Eriku on June 29.
Police raided Steven’s home and arrested him but the rifle had already been given away.
Steven said on Monday he took the weapon to 4-Mile and gave it to Elias Akui. Police arrested Akui who told police he had given it to a Wilson Sakawi.
Police finally recovered the firearm from a mattress in Sakawi’s home.
Sakawi was arrested along with brothers, Lazarus and Brian Surat.
Magistrate Tapil told the men that stealing state property, especially a dangerous weapon, was a serious offence and they had cost the police time and resources in the recovery of the firearm.
“We are trying to make our communities a safe place for everyone to live in and yet you people carry dangerous weapon around putting people’s lives at risk”, Tapil said.
The Surat brothers will appear in court for their hearing on July 29.