No comment from Australian as he’s committed to trial

A COURT has committed a 52-year-old Australian man charged with dealing with criminal property in Central two years ago to stand trial in the National Court.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Danny Wakikura yesterday told David John Cutmore from North Queensland that there was enough evidence for him to be committed.
“Cutmore will properly defend himself in the trial proper,” he said.
Magistrate Wakikura then asked Cutmore if he wished to say anything for his defence submission.
Cutmore told the court that he decided to remain silent on his defence submission.
Magistrate Wakikura adjourned the matter to Jun 6 for listing in the National Court and remanded Cutmore in custody.
Police prosecutor Insp Boas Binuali told The National outside the court in Feb that the current charge put before Cutmore was for the money that he had brought into the country which breached the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act 2015.
He said the total of AU$75,000 (about K189,000) in cash was found in three envelops and this was the alleged money which Cutmore used to pay three nationals for transporting packages of drugs to a site on the outskirts of Port Moresby.
It was alleged that last July 26, Cutmore illegally entered the country from Cairns, Australia, on a twin engine aircraft and landed near Papa-Lealea in Central.
He was alleged to have flown in to pick up 611kg of cocaine and was to have returned to Australia but the plane had crashed due to the weight.
Police at the scene recovered the drugs and later arrested Cutmore after he surrendered himself at the Australian High Commission.
He was later convicted of illegally entering the country and breaching the Civil Aviation Act for flying without a pilot license and crashing the plane.
Cutmore was fined K37,000 for the previous charges, but he was unable to pay and therefore detained and was serving a year and eight months at the Bomana Correctional Services.