Madang National Court

The men from Serengo, Gomumu, Goiro, Niningo, Numbaya and Saranga villages in Ramu will return before Justice David Cannings at the Madang National Court next month.

Submissions on sentence will be made to the court before a sentence is handed down at a later date.

The 97 men pleaded not guilty to the charge of wilful murder in April 2017, which saw the commencement of their trial.

The petition did not proceed to full trial last week after Naguri and the Electoral Commission’s objections on competency of the petition were successful.

Trial judge Justice Joseph Yagi dismissed the petition. 

This is the first petition to go for trial.

The petition was filed by Kombe on 30 August alleging errors and omissions on the part of the Electoral Commission.

He was seeking a recount of 2,725 votes, saying requests to have those votes re-counted were refused by the returning officer during scrutiny process.

In two separate Supreme Court appeals that were filed by Yagama and Yama against their conviction and sentence, two different Supreme Court bench upheld their appeal, quashing the sentence on Tuesday.

On 31 January 2014, Justice David Cannings of the Madang National Court sentenced Yagama to nine months in prison while Yama was given six months for contempt of court after they failed to control their supporters who incited violence in the precinct of the Madang National court on 3 September 2013.