Police investigations and how it should be conducted is not the business of the courts says Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika.
He said the court should not go into the investigation processes of the police when addressing counsels in court on Monday over the case involving Jiwaka businessman Justin Parker.
He made these comments because of an order that was earlier issued by another court for police to conduct DNA tests on a primary evidence material that will be used in the trial.
The order issued on Nov 3, 2016 was for the Police Commissioner to fund a DNA testing to be done on the shirt which was allegedly used by Parker to wipe off blood stains of the late Lapan Nason at his Port Moresby home on Saturday, June 6, 2015.
The orders were granted after Parker’s lawyers moved an application.
The State was unable to give an update to the court on the progress of that order when the case went for mention on Monday.
The Deputy Chief Justice said that matter is for police and not for the court to tell police how they should conduct their investigation.
“All I want is matter is ready and the matter be set for trial.
“It’s been one year, six months. How long is the court going to wait for the trial to be ready? DNA test should have been done ages ago,” Sir Gibbs asked.
He later adjourned the matter to March 6 after he was informed by Parker’s lawyer that he needed an adjournment to attend to his late wife’s funeral arrangements.
Parker has spent 18 months remanded at Bomana since he surrendered to police in June 2015. He was allowed bail by the Supreme Court on Dec 15,2016. He was released on K10,000 bail.
The 44-year-old is from Minj, Jiwaka Province. He was arrested and charged with the wilful murder of his chief aircraft engineer, 54-year-old Lapan Nason, from New Ireland Province, on June 6 at Gorobe Street, Badili.
Nason died two days later from his injuries at the Port Moresby General Hospital.
(Loop PNG file picture of Parker last year at the Bomana National Courthouse)