Officers jailed for seller’s death

TWO policemen who killed a betel nut seller Peter Pamben in Port Moresby two years ago were jailed 10 years each by the Waigani National Court on Tuesday.
Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, when sentencing Andrew Kupuso of Chambri village in Wosera-Gawi, East Sepik, and John Lavona of Lorengau village, Rambutso in Manus, said Kupuso and Lavona committed the crime in an extenuating situation.
“This incident happened because of the people’s no care attitude of not obeying the laws and regulations the relevant authorities imposed,” Sir Gibbs said.
According to information before the court, between 1pm and 2pm on Sept 16, 2019, Kupuso and Lavona in a police car, chased the deceased (Pemben) who was selling betel nut at Rainbow bus stop.
Pemben ran into the Jubilee University gate.
Kupuso and Lavona left the car and chased Pemben on foot.
They caught him trying to free himself from the spikes of fencing for the Port Moresby National High School by pulling his legs.
As a result, the spikes pieced his groin area and he bled to death.
Sir Gibbs said Pemben had lost his life unnecessarily and unlawfully when he was entitled to live a full life.
“Pemben’s running away from the police, invited the policemen to have suspicions of him committing a crime and this brought unwanted attention to himself,” he said.
“Kupuso and Lavona should not have pulled Pemben’s legs when he was stuck on the fence.”
He said that care should have been taken when trying to pull Pemben from the fence.
Sir Gibbs said this unnecessary loss of life should not have happened if the law on Section 44A, 44B and 44C of Summary Offence Act, which prohibits selling, buying and chewing of betel nut and smoking in public places, was enforced.
Sir Gibbs suspended two years and seven months of Kupuso’s jail term spent in pre-custody and six months of Lavona’s term.
Kupuso will now serve a balance of seven years, five months and Lavona to serve a balance of nine years, six months in Bomana Prison.