Trio implicated in cocaine bust to know fate soon

By BOURA GORUKILA
THREE Papua New Guineans allegedly involved in the country’s biggest cocaine haul last year will know their fate on Sept 30 when the Central magistrate deliver a ruling.
The date for the ruling was fixed after submissions from the prosecution and defence yesterday.
Lawyer representing Dominic Terupo and Morgan Mogu, Bernard Popeu from the Public Solicitor’s Office, submitted two issues.
“The first is the appropriateness of the charge of money laundering, whether the charge of money laundering under section 508 B (1) (iii) (a) of the Criminal Code Act is the appropriate charge to encompass the allegation and the evidence that is before this court,” he said.
“The second issue is whether the evidence that is before this court establishes the elements of an indictable offence or a simple offence? Those are the issues which we submit.”
Popeu submitted that to determine the first issue, the court should go through the definition of money laundering which could be found in the interpretation division of the Criminal Code, Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Amended Act.
“Nowhere in that provision includes narcotics,” he said.
“That provision deals with assets, whether tangible or intangible.
“Money laundering is laundering dirty money,
“This case is a very simple case of possession of narcotics.
“We submit that there is no reason why Terupo and Mogu should be charged with money laundering.”