Police blame each other over courtroom failure

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

POLICE in Lae have pointed fingers at each other for their failing to prosecute five former University of Technology (Unitech) staff were cleared by  the court of defrauding the institution.

Detective Sgt Michael Aluy and Snr Const Tom Likome blamed prosecutor Snr Sgt Galus Gumbaia for failing to successfully prosecute Dr Narayan Gehlot and four others who appeared before the Lae Committal Court last week.  The case was dismissed for lack of evidence.

Aluy and Likome investigated the case. 

“We are not happy about the way the prosecutor handled the case,” Aluy said.

“We have collected sufficient evidence but the prosecution has failed us. 

“This is a very sensitive case of national interest.

Likome added: “He (prosecutor) did not request the court to grant time for police to make their submission.”

Both investigators had raised concern as to why different prosecutors were involved in prosecuting the case instead of just one officer.

Gumbaia however, denied the claims by Aluy and Likome, saying they were baseless and false.

“Yes, I did not make a submission because the evidence at hand was no good,” he said.

“All the evidence in the file is in favour of the defence.

“A submission is a summary of all the evidence already at hand. We can’t just make up evidence.”

Gumbaia said he only presented what was given to him by the two detectives.

He said had they given him stronger evidence he would have presented a stronger case.

The cases involving Gehlot and his co-accused were dismissed by magistrate Posain Poloh last Friday because of insufficient evidence.

But the prosecutor and the two detectives agreed that they would take the case further with the office of the public prosecutor.