Victim: Police witheld info to commit suspect

 WEWAK town clinic health extension officer Charles Namuesh has accused Wewak police of not providing sufficient evidence to prosecute a prime suspect in an armed robbery, kidnapping, attempted murder on him and the rape of his wife outside Wewak last August.

Senior provincial magistrate David Susame last month dismissed the matter against the prime suspect who had allegedly admitted to committing the offence during questioning at the police station.

The suspect also identified other members of the gang allegedly involved in the incident.

The court dismissed the case on grounds that the evidence provided by the prosecution was not sufficient to commit the suspect to stand trial at the National Court.

The victims’ father and former town mayor, Anton Namuesh, claimed the suspect admitted to committing the offence in two separate interviews at the Caltex auxiliary base and Wewak police station, but the reason why the arresting officer failed to file court statements was unknown. 

Namuesh said his son and daughter in-law received inhumane treatment at the hands of these hooligans and, therefore, they must be punished by the law.

The couple was held up at Wom village around 9pm on Aug 17 and was taken to a logging road along the West Coast where they were tied, humiliated and an attempt was made to kill the husband when he tried to stop them raping his wife.

The clinic vehicle they used also had its parts, worth more than K70,000, removed that same night.

Namuesh claimed that the arresting officer had withheld statements or must have some interest in the case and, therefore, a neutral officer must be assigned to investigate and have the suspect re-arrested and charged.

A formal complaint had been filed with Wewak police.