Witnesses called as defendant stays silent

By JAMES GUMUNO
A defendant who wished to remain silent in the Mt Hagen District Court resulted in the court adjourning the matter.
Magistrate Joseph Donald told the police prosecutor to call in witnesses because defendant Eddie Yasie, from Chuave in Chimbu, pleaded guilty to the charge but decided to remain silent in court yesterday.
Yasie was arrested by Mt Hagen police on Feb 8 after 12 rolls of marijuana were found in his possession.
Police told the court that Yasie was arrested at 8.15pm on Independence Hill.
Police said the defendant was stopped and searched when they found the marijuana rolls in his back pocket.
They took him to the police station.
At the station, Yasie told police that he bought the marijuana at Hagen Kofi, some 500 metres from Independence Hill.
He was then charged with being in possession of a dangerous drug and remanded in police custody.
Yasie appeared in court yesterday, admitted to charge and remained silent.
Magistrate Donald asked him if he had anything to tell the court, to which he said he didn’t have anything to say.
Yasie’s silence prompted the magistrate to ask the police prosecutor to bring the arresting officers and other witnesses.
Donald said that it was hard to continue with a plea of guilty.
He adjourned the case to next month.
The defendant was told to remain in police custody.