A 39 year old police impersonator faces possible jail time, after discharging a police issued weapon.
Henry Mokari from Western Highlands Province was arrested after discharging a Bush-Master Aris A2 Rifle at Gerehu stage one last month.
Mokari was charged under section 59 of the Firearms Act for discharging a firearm in a residential area without a lawful excuse.
When questioned by the Boroko District Court, Henry Mokari said he is a reserve police officer.
He told the Court that the weapon was left with him by a Senior Sergeant from Gerehu Police Station, because the sergeant was drunk and wanted to go to a settlement.
He said he told the sergeant to leave the rifle with him for safe keeping.
While the weapon was with him, he wanted to clear the rifle and accidently fired a shot.
He said he had already removed the magazine but didn’t realise a bullet was still in the rifle.
Meantime, two key witnesses brought in today were the NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Commander Ben Turi and Slim Rafum, the NCD Reserve Commander.
Both senior police officers who have worked in NCD Command for more than 20 years say Henry Mokari is neither a police officer nor a reservist.
Turi who resides in the same community as the defendant said the defendant is the son of a policeman.
He said the weapon that was in the Defendant’s custody was one of the many weapons that had gone missing.
Following the three witnesses testimony, Henry realised that the service number provided to him by a former Gerehu Police station admin clerk was unrecognized.
He apologized in Court for clearing the police firearm but still maintains that the shot was an accident.
The case will return to Court on Monday July 17th.