Witness does not know accused

ONE of four witnesses who appeared before the National Court in Lae on Tuesday to testify in the trial against Peter Gilgil Angara and Kaupa Moore Yanu who were accused of the 2006 burning of six houses at Kapiak St, Lae said he did not know them.
Angara, 30 and Yanu in his 50s, both from Kamatai in Simbu province were each charged with six counts of arson.
They appeared before Justice Sao Gabi on Monday for the sixth day of the trial.
State witness Bonny Sosa Gunzie from Dengap village told the court that he had been living at Kapiak St for almost 10 years.
When asked by the State if he knew the two accused, he said he did not.
However, Gunzie recalled in court that on Aug 5, 2006, around 9am, he was at his house with his family.
He said while in the house, some people stood outside on the road and were calling out that the Kabwums had killed a Simbu man.
Gunzie, who walks on crutches, said he told his family to carry him to the back of his house where he went through a hole in a fence and was carried away by people from Okapa, Eastern Highlands province.
The next day, Aug 6, he said his family went to the Bumayong area and told him that the Simbus had burnt down his house and trade store.
The other State witnesses were Oka Pinim, David Sotil and John Elias who testified that they were living at Kapiak St when the incident occurred.