Three in custody over murder freed

THREE murder suspects who were held in custody for nearly three-and-a-half years for allegedly killing a four-year-old boy in 2018, were discharged and released from Buiebi prison, Mendi, Southern Highlands last week.
Justice John Kaumi in the Buiebi National Court, in discharging Eric Tony, 23, Agiri Wau, 35, and Ipale Tirifa, 23, all from Hegeso village, Kutubu, Southern Highlands, said the State had no evidence to proceed with a trail.
“Enough time was given but the state had no witnesses to give evidence in a trial,” he said.
The court heard that on Aug 2018, Tony, Wau, Tirifa and their relatives had an argument with the victim’s father over a piece of land in their community.
The State alleged that on Aug 25, the three and few other men attempted to kill the victim with poison but it didn’t work.
On the same day, the victim was lured to where they were hiding.
They allegedly twisted his neck until they thought he was dead and dumped his body in a pit toilet.