Trio back in court

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
A DOCTOR and two accomplices, facing murder charges over the death of his wife, have been summoned to stand trial in the National Court in Mt Hagen next Monday.
Dr Simon Temo, Ken Paul and Nombre Kasu had their cases struck out early this month by the Mt Hagen District Court Magistrate Leonard Mesmin because of insufficient evidence.
Magistrate Mesmin said State witnesses had failed to provide the evidence and facts of the alleged killing during the committal hearing.
After the case was struck out by the district court in Mt Hagen, Police Commissioner David Manning instructed the police investigation team to work with the prosecutors in Mt Hagen to pursue the case further.
The files were brought to Port Moresby where the public prosecutor issued the indictment.
“I would like to thank the public prosecutor in Mt Hagen and Port Moresby for their professional intervention and assistance,” Comm Manning said.
“We also want to thank the people of Southern Highlands and Western Highlands for maintaining peace and calm despite the tumultuous turn of events and above all we thank the father, family, relatives, clan and tribe of the late Imelda Tupi Tiamanda for enduring with us by keeping the peace and allowing the rule of law to take its course.
“We were told that the matter has been listed for Oct 4 – for the three men to appear in the National Court.” He said police yesterday went to the homes of the three men in Mendi, Southern Highlands, to serve the indictments, but could not find them.
“Directions have been given to police to seek out the three and have them served with the indictment and taken into custody,” Comm Manning said.
A public prosecutor can present an ex-officio indictment to a court against any person for any indictable offence irrespective of whether the person has been committed to a trial or not.
Temo, 40, Paul, 27, Kasu, 42, were charged with the murder of Imelda Tupi Tiamanda, from Mendi, in May. Police in Mt Hagen found her body wrapped in a blue canvas sheet at the back of a van in which the three were travelling in from Mendi to Mt Hagen.