Arson

The 38 suspects were charged with Arson, Damaging Properties and Stealing.

They appeared in Lorengau District court before Senior Magistrate Francis Kalai on Monday May 14.

Their case has been adjourned to May 30 for mention. All were remanded in custody at CS Lorengau.

Provincial Police Commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said the incident occurred at two different locations at Lopahan village, Bupichupen Lele Madih LLG and Liap Village in the PNKA LLG on Sunday May 6.

The 70 male students who were in class when the dormitory burnt down lost all their personal belongings. The fire, which was aided by strong winds, engulfed the building, leaving the students with no chance to rescue their belongings as it burnt down very quickly.

The extreme heat had also affected the nearby dormitory housing 80 other male students, which is now uninhabitable. Students from both dormitories are now accommodated temporarily at the Yumi Yet properties at Gerehu, which is costing the College K70,000.

The Wewak National Court found Chief Inspector Sakawar Kasieng, of Sibilanga Village, Sandaun Province, guilty on Wednesday for arson, while four of his officers were convicted for raping a 17-year-old girl at her family home on 7 December 2013.

Robin Weibi of Tomonoum Village, Nuku, Sandaun Province, Timon Kangapu of Hirae Village, Kopiago, Southern Highlands Province, Stanley Moui Jombu of Passam, East Sepik Province, and Nigel Tianguma Harvey of Mikarew area, Bogia, Madang Province, were all found guilty for rape.

The youth, Ronnie Kevau Taga 23- years- of- age from Delena village, Bereina village, Central Province was arrested over the incident on Jan 4 at Doa police station and brought to court for the first time this week.

He was apprehended by village court magistrates and taken by police officers on Christmas and New Year operations to Doa.

He was charged with arson by CID Central at the Six-Mile service station and appeared at the Central Committal Court before Magistrate ben Kome this week.

On Saturday evening at around 7pm, G4S security guards on duty noticed a fire in the Nature Park’s rainforest precinct engulfing one of the viewing huts in the area. 

The guards were able to extinguish the fire before it spread.

 “I can’t comprehend how people could do such an act, particularly as the Nature Park is a charitable organization set up by the NCD to provide the community with recreational and educational opportunities”.

The accused Penias Sasehawa, 22 of Munji village, Yangoru Saussia district, East Sepik is seeking bail from the Waigani  District Court after he was arrested and detained on September 2.

His lawyers from the Public Solicitors office have filed the bail application however that will be heard next month as his affidavit before the court does not contain records that he is a student of the University of Papua New Guinea.

Samuel Senginau of Yangoru and Nigel Hunjefery of Wewak in the East Sepik Province, Ezekiel Mambu of Morobe and Andrew Bomang of Tewai-Siassi also in the Morobe Province will stand trial after the Committal Court found there was sufficient evidence against them.

The youths are alleged to have broken into a home at Morobe block on January 26, 2015 and got away with properties worth K20, 000.

It is also alleged that after they stole from the house, they set fire to the whole house.

Police officials said at a news conference Friday that 59-year-old John Russel Houser's arrests date 10 to 15 years ago or more. Those include charges of arson and selling alcohol to a minor. 

He had been married once in the past but was not currently married.

In Alabama, records show Houser had four speeding tickets and one no-seatbelt ticket between 1981 and 2003.

Gabaga Raga 27,  arrested last week and charged with unlawful entrance at the school on the night of the fire, is to appear in court today.

He was released on K300 bail last week.

Investigators say Raga remains a suspect even though they could not find evidence that linked him to the burning down of four classrooms last week.

Raga was arrested after witnesses told police he was seen climbing over the school fence hours before the fire started.

Investigators also say they believe the fire may have been started by students and not outsiders.