Police officer summoned over two missing vehicles

The National National

By GIDEON KINDIWA
A POLICE officer has been summoned to appear in court and reveal the whereabouts of two vehicles that went missing after being locked up at a police station yard in Port Moresby.
Waigani District Court magistrate Cosmas Bidar summoned detective Danny Taye to discuss the missing Nissan Navara and a Mitsubishi Pajero.
He also wanted police to explain why they did not comply with court orders to return the vehicles to Guangtian Construction Co Ltd.
“We’re informed that the vehicles were not kept at the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) at Konedobu,” Bidar said.
“The court gave orders to return the vehicles six weeks ago and the orders have not been complied with.”
On Aug 20 last year, police at the NFACD, led by Taye, seized two vehicles at Guangtian’s premises at Kennedy Estate after a complaint was made that the company was in possession of stolen properties.
Guangtian filed an application through lawyer Simon Dewe to set the warrant aside on the basis that the properties were subject of a pending National Court proceeding. The company said the seizure was an abuse of court process.
On Feb 14 this year, NFACD lawyer Paire Kuiap agreed with the application and withdrew the warrant.
Dewe then sought orders from the court for the return of the vehicles.
The court approved and ordered police officers to return the vehicles within 48 hours upon service of the order.
The notice was served to NFACD on Feb 19 but the officers failed to comply.
Dewe wrote to Taye and lead police informant Lukas Muka on Feb 25, requesting them to return the vehicles within 24 hours but nothing was done.
On March 8, the court ordered Taye to appear to explain why he refused to comply with the orders.
Taye was due to appear in court yesterday but he did not turn up.
Kuiap told court the vehicles were not within the NFACD yard and he had no idea where they were.
Bidar summoned Taye to appear on April 5 to explain.
He said further orders would be made if he failed to comply.