The detainment condition of the Military Police holding facility at Murray Barracks was brought to the Military Court’s attention today.
This was brought up by way of 11 affidavits filed in bail applications for the 11 PNG Defence Force officers who were charged for mutiny and misconduct under operational service.
The state of the holding facility was brought to the court’s attention today as one of the main grounds in the soldiers’ application seeking bail.
Commissioned lawyers to the military ranks of captain, Leslie Mamu, Edward Sasingian and Wesley Dickson moved the application for their clients before Deputy Defence Force Judge, Justice Allan David.
They submitted that the 11 were senior officers who were kept in the inhuman and cramped confinement facility that only had the capacity to detain nine officers.
The 11 officers had been kept at the nine-man holding facility since Dec 28 which their lawyers said were not fit for occupation as per their filed affidavits.
Counsel for the State and the PNG Defence Force Captain David Kuvi told the court that the PNG Defence Force was in the process of having the other Military Police detainment facility at Taurama barracks upgraded to accommodate the officers who are currently being detained at Murray Barracks.
He told the court that he was instructed that the other Military Police detainment facility at Taurama barracks should be upgraded to accommodate the officers by next week.
A ruling on the bail application is expected on Monday (Jan 11) morning.
Pictured above are soldiers after the Court Martial outside the Waigani National Court.
