Murder charge lifted off ESP trio

THE men from Turubu, in East Sepik, have been acquitted of murder charges by the National Court in Wewak.
Ezekiel Yaum, Raphael Kariwa and Cletus Bon were allowed by the court to walk to freedom on Friday after it upheld their lawyer Michael Wagambie’s no case to answer submission.
The three men were charged with the murder of Jovi Valarian at Wom village on May 19, 2008.
Justice Nicholas Kirriwom ruled after a three-day trial in which five State witnesses were called that the evidence they gave was unreliable that no reasonable tribunal doing justice could safely rely on what they had testified.
He upheld the “no case” submission by Wagambie and dismissed the charge against the three accused and ordered that their bail money be refunded.
The state witnesses testified the three accused were drinking with the deceased at locations in and around Wewak town and surrounding areas and ultimately ended up at a private house near Wom Beach Guest House.
They drank more alcohol during which an argument developed between the three accused and the deceased who are first cousins.
But the State witnesses could not identify the accused or prove any motive to harm the deceased.
Wagambie from Wagambie Lawyers submitted that the State case failed to substantiate the allegations against his clients.
He said the issue was one of identification but so far no evidence had been tendered showing that any of the accused assaulted the deceased during that time.