Suspect held after K200,000 stolen from landowners

A SUSPECTED pirate was charged in the Vanimo district court yesterday with allegedly robbing 25 logging project landowners of K200,000 last month.
Malcolm Malik Balagawi, 42, from Ambunti’s Avatip, East Sepik, and four other suspects, who are still on the run, allegedly ambushed a dinghy ferrying the landowners in a river on their way to West Sepik with royalty money from Teleformin.
The pirates, all masked, were armed with three home made guns, one factory made gun, wire catapults and bush knives when they chased and caught up with the landowners in a fast outboard motor dinghy in Sepik River.
They then threatened and ordered the landowners to leave all their valuables, jump into the river and swim for the banks.
The pirates made their way further up the river to a village where they shared the loot.
The landowners managed to find their way to Pagwi and reported the robbery.
Police rushed to the village but the pirates had separated and left.
Police found that all the store goods (of the landowners) were burnt but no money.
However, police arrested Balagawai following a tip off. Balagawai then admitted, during interrogation, that his share of the loot was K12,000.
He appeared before Senior Provincial Magistrate Sasa Inkung on a charge of armed robbery and was ordered to be remanded in Vanimo jail.
Inkung also ordered that Balagawai be transferred to East Sepik to appear before the Wewak District Court on April 22, 2019, while police continue its investigations and may press for more piracy charges.