No bail for possessing weapons, drug

By BEVERLY PETER
A MAGISTRATE says any bail application for the 20 men who were caught by police for being in possession of dangerous weapons would not be accepted as the one who was out on bail was still missing.
Magistrate Paul Nii said this at the Waigani Committal Court yesterday in refusing to hear a bail application filed by a lawyer representing the driver of the vehicle which was transporting the 21 armed men last month from Port Moresby to Bomana.
“There is no guarantee that these 20 men will comply with the bail conditions as one of them, who was out on bail, is already not complying with the bail conditions,” he said.
“I have issued the warrant of arrest and he is yet to be found and arrested.
“There are no grounds to guarantee the compliance of others unless the one who is out on bail is brought back.”
Magistrate Nii also asked the lawyer representing the driver to make it their business to find the missing man and bring him to court before making his submission for his bail.
Police alleged that at around 11pm on Christmas night, Fox 101 of National Capital District stopped a Nissan Patrol loaded with 21 men from Hela at Kerepia Correctional Service Barracks at Bomana.
The police officers told the men to come out and searched the vehicle.
Police alleged that they found a homemade pistol, eight bush knives and a plastic bag of marijuana in the vehicle.
Police confiscated the weapons and the drug, arrested the men and took them to the Badili police holding cell where they were charged and detained.