Police failure to arrest accused forces court to strike out cases

By Alice Osii
A MAGISTRATE yesterday struck out two committal court matters because the police failed to apprehend the accused even after being issued the arrest warrants.
Waigani Magistrate Cosmas Bidar had raised his concerns earlier this week about the delays in the progress of cases facing the courts. He called on Parliament to pass laws to ensure a swift progress and conclusion of cases.
Justice Minister and Attorney-General Davis Steven said a committee was looking at reforms in the court system.
Yesterday, Magistrate Bidar struck out the cases of Luke Dipil, who was charged with stealing, and John Potol, who was facing two counts of forgery, and ordered that their K500 bail money be forfeited to the State.
He said police had failed to execute the arrest warrants issued by the court.
Police prosecutor Shellian Pius said Dipil and Potol were still at large.
Magistrate Bidar, in a previous matter, had advised the court that a committal proceeding is transitory, non-conclusive and tentative process. It means that the case
before a committal proceeding does not end.
“There is no finality in a committal proceeding which means the cases can never be dismissed but can only be struck out,” Magistrate Bidar said.
Meanwhile, another man charged with grievous bodily harm and another charged with manslaughter are still at large. Magistrate Bidar extended the warrant of arrests for James Yano, charged with one count of manslaughter, and Numa Numa, charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.