Yasause to move back to jail

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday, June 8th 2011

By JACOB POK
FORMER Office of Climate Change head Dr Theo Yasause was ordered by the Waigani Committal Court yesterday to return to Bomana prison to await court appearance after spending almost a month at the Boroko police cell.
Yasause, who faces wilful murder charges for the alleged murder of former rugby league star, Aquila Emil, had twice lost bail applications.
He was transferred from Bomana to police custody in Boroko on May 5 after he had requested the change.
On his court appearance yesterday, committal court magistrate Rossi Johnson told Yasause and his lawyer the Boroko cell was a temporary holding cell and the accused could not be left there for long.
Johnson said she would make orders for Yasause to be transferred back to Bomana because the Boroko cell was unhygienic.
“The Boroko cell is in a sad state and not healthy for the accused to be kept there,” Johnson said.
But Yasause’s lawyer, Canute Nidue, told the court his client had to remain in Boroko as it was closest to his (Yasause’s) family and easier for his children to vi­sit him as their mother (Ya­sause’s wife) had died recently.
When asked how old the youngest child was, the lawyer said the youngest child was six years old.
But Johnson referred to Yasause’s earlier pleadings where he told the court he suffered health problems.
“I am concerned about his health, Boroko cell is not a conducive place for the accused to be held.
 “I don’t know why you’re insisting,” Johnson told the lawyer.
She issued orders for Yasause to be remanded in the Bomana correctional institution.
Earlier, Yasause’s lawyer delivered to the court a no-case to answer submission.
The matter was adjourned to June 17 for police prosecutors to prepare their response to the submission.