Supreme Court upholds man’s life-term

 By DAPHNE WANI 
THE Supreme Court has upheld a National Court decision to impose life imprisonment on a man guilty of killing another man in Wewak 17 years ago.
Justices Sir Bernard Sakora and Don Sawong yesterday dismissed the appeal of Tony Hahuahori against his conviction and sentence.
He had appealed on the grounds that he was not guilty and that his sentence was not fair on the charge of murder.
Sawong said the court rules required the appellant in his appeal to state briefly but specifically the grounds relied upon in support of the appeal.
“In our view, this requires the appellant to particularise succinctly or clearly the grounds of appeal in the notice of appeal,” he said.
He said  the grounds for the appeal were vague.
Hahuahori from Japaraka village, Kubalia, East Sepik, was charged with the murder of Freddie Bill of Aupik village in Maprik on Mar 9, 1999.
Bill was a passenger on a PMV bus travelling from Maprik to Wewak.
As the truck was passing Japaraka village, Hahuahori and some men attempted to hold it up by standing in the middle of the road and pointing their guns at the driver.
However, the driver upon seeing them kept on driving. Hahuahori and his friends fired shots at the truck. Bill died from a pellet wound the next day at the Boram hospital.