A five-man Supreme Court bench has by majority confirmed the death penalty by hanging for three prisoners currently awaiting execution at the Kerevat Correctional Institute.
The three were convicted and sentenced over the cold blooded murder of eight people on 26 September 2007, between the waters of Namatanai and Kokopo.
Three of the five-man Supreme Court bench dismissed the appeals against conviction and sentence that were filed by prisoners Botchia Hagena of Urkuk, Duke of York islands, Peter Taul and Tobung Paraide of Pilapila village, East New Britain Province.
They were sentenced to death by hanging on 14 July 2011 by the Kokopo National Court. They were convicted after trial.
The three were among five men who were found guilty by the court for the brutal cold blooded murder of eight people, including a woman on September 26, 2007.
The deceased were passengers of the boat Palex when they met their fate between the waters of Kokopo in East New Britain and West Coast Namatanai, New Ireland, in what was described as the worst case of wilful murder.
Pre-meditated planning was made by the murderers the previous afternoon at a beach near Tavui village in East New Britain Province.
One of the accomplice got immunity from the state when he confessed to the killing, and gave evidence as a state witness in the trial.
While travelling between Kokopo and West Coast Namatanai that day, the five men, armed with guns and bush knives, held up the passengers.
The five prisoners had travelled to a spot at Makada Point in the Duke of York islands earlier on 40 horse-powered and 75 horse-powered dinghies where they waited for the Palex. There one of them shot the operator of Palex, killing him instantly.
The men then jumped onto the boat and looted it before killing the remaining passengers.
Only the body of three passengers were recovered in the boat.