A probationary police officer in Port Moresby has been placed on good behaviour bond for the next two years by the Waigani National Court.
Western Highlands man Joshua Kraip was sentenced to two years in jail on Thursday after he was found guilty for unlawfully using a stolen motor vehicle that he was supposed to impound at the Gordon Police Station on March 10, 2016.
His jail term was suspended by the court and he was instead placed on two years of good behaviour bond and ordered to pay K2000 compensation to the owner of the vehicle.
The vehicle, belonging to Camilus Narokobi, was stolen from his wife on Feb 16 last year at East Boroko.
It was sold to a relative of his, who bought it and kept it for four days. It was brought to the station and instead of impounding it right away, he drove it to Morata where he resided to get his notebook that contained the details of his uncle, the man who bought the vehicle after it was stolen.
The vehicle’s registration number was changed and it was only discovered at the station that the vehicle was stolen.
The court, when convicting him, was of the view that he knew the man who brought the vehicle in, being his uncle and could not justify why he drove the vehicle out.
The owner of the vehicle identified the vehicle at the Gordon Police Station and was told to report it to Traffic police at Boroko however, upon his return to Gordon, he found the vehicle was no longer there.
He held the vehicle for four hours in his possession before returning it to the station.
Kraip and the man who bought the vehicle were both arrested and charged for the offence but his co-accused’s case was dismissed in the Committal Court.
“As a policeman, you should have done the right thing, impound the vehicle and report it,” Justice Panuel Mogish said when imposing his penalty sentence in court.