‘Sorcerer’ killers get 30yrs each

By CHARLES MOI
TWO “sorcerer” killers were jailed 30 years each by the National Court for the execution of a Chimbu man in 2011.
Justice Daniel Liosi said: “A punitive sentence is intended to show the court and law’s disapproval of this type of killings because they are in fact summary and extra-judicial executions.
“Offenders often act as prosecutor, judge and jury. And in so doing, they denied the deceased, often defenceless, of the fundamental right to life and the right to full protection of the law as guaranteed to all citizens and residents alike by the Constitution
“And as such, the severity of the sentence should not, therefore, be restricted to only to the aggravating factors of a particular offence but, due consideration should be given to the deprivation of those Constitutional rights.
“Watching a loved one helplessly as they are being led away to their death is terrible.”
Timothy Wena Begand, 54, and Kaiglo Guri, 64, both from Kerowagi’s Kondan village in Chimbu, were part of a crowd who executed Kaigo Mondo who was accused of using sorcery to kill Guri’s son, Onguglo Guri.
The court heard that on Nov 28, 2011, at about 3pm in Kondan village, Begand and Kaiglo, with others still at large, accused Mondo and his family of practicing sorcery (sanguma) following the death of Onguglo.
The people gathered on the roadside and were discussing Kaiglo’s disappearance.
During the discussion, Kaiglo started to blame his son’s death on Mondo.
Mondo was tied with a rope around his neck and dragged from the road up the hill to their ceremonial ground.
Begand cut Mondo on his head.
Mondo’s sons Ben and Krond were helpless and thinking about their own safety, they stood back and watched their father being dragged away.
At the ceremonial ground, one of the attackers, Ivan Wii, gave his axe to Guri and told him to kill Mondo.
Guri then went over, lifted the axe and swung it on the right side of Mondo’s neck.
Mondo collapsed and his attackers fled.