Wife, sons charged with murder

A MOTHER and her two sons were charged in a committal court in Waigani yesterday, with killing a policeman (husband and father) in the National Capital District’s Kaugere on Dec 10.
Magistrate Ore Ore read the charges to Anna Punai, 48, from Bayung village in Morobe’s Bulolo, Adam Punai, 28, and Emmanuel Punai, 20, both from Tsal valley’s Kainakos village in Enga, and fixed Jan 19, for the next hearing.
On Dec 10, between 2.30am and 3am in Geno police barracks, Adam, Emmanuel and their mother Anna, allegedly hit Senior Sergeant Jim Punai with an iron rod twice on his head.
He was rushed to the Port Moresby General Hospital but pronounced dead.
Anna, Adam and Emmanuel’s lawyer Edward Sasingian asked if they could be remanded in the Boroko holding cell until he got a report for Adam, who was mentally ill and was currently at the Laloki Psychiatrist Hospital. Police prosecutor Sandra Holland said: “We would like them to provide evidence so arrangements could be made for him to be detained.”
It was alleged that Punai was drunk and sleeping inside his vehicle in front of his house.
Adam was brought home by his aunt Lucy Sokoli and her husband Newman.
It was alleged that Adam sat in front of their house and started complaining to his mother that he wanted to smoke (marijuana). Emmanuel advised his mother that what his brother wanted was inside the room so Anna went and got it and gave it to her son.
After that, Anna woke her husband.
When Adam saw his father, he started arguing with him.
He allegedly picked up a rock and swung but it missed his father.
He was still looking for something to hit his father when his brother Emmanuel came out of the house with an iron rod and allegedly passed it to Adam and said to his father that they would kill him.
Police alleged that Adam without hesitation went straight for his father and allegedly hit him twice on the head with the iron rod.
His uncle Newman tried to stop Adam but Adam also allegedly hit him on the head, so his wife Lucy grabbed Newman’s hand and they ran out of the yard.
Punai was later rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead.