Police: Wartoto ‘delaying’ case

By SAMUEL RAITANO
POLICE have blamed Kokopo businessman Eremas Wartoto for delaying the completion of files related to two charges of misapplication against him.
They said Wartoto had not co-operated with the fraud squad by failing to attend an interview on Nov 17 as requested by police.
But Wartoto’s lawyer David Levi told the Waigani District Court yesterday his client was sick and had missed the interview because he had to undergo medical treatment in Australia. He is understood to be in Cairns.
Levi sought to have information on the case struck out, given that the three months needed for the file to be completed had lapsed.
However, Magistrate Cosmas Bidar said the defendant was partly responsible for the delay.
The court was told that Wartoto had suggested that his interview be conducted via phone since he was overseas, and that the list of questions be brought to him by the police.
He even offered to pay for the travel expenses of a police officer to travel to Australia.
But Bidar said for a policeman’s travel fare to be met by an interviewee would likely create a conflict of interest.
The police prosecution said an interview via
phone was inappropriate.
The police prosecution told the court that two medical statements produced in previous hearings by Wartoto needed verifying.
This was because findings, according to the Australian Federal Police via request from the PNG police, showed that Wartoto had never been admitted at the Cairns Hospital.
But Levi said the previous medical statements were from a Queensland hospital, which had then referred his client to Cairns Hospital.
Bidar said such information was invading into doctor-client confidentiality. He adjourned the matter to Feb 20.