Waigani Committal Court

The 46-year-old father has been in court since August last year after he was arrested and charged for the persistent sexual assault of his biological daughter.

That ruling on his case is expected next Thursday.

He was charged with the persistent child sexual abuse, or a charge of sexual penetration, that falls under section 229 of the Criminal Code and Sexual Offenses and Crimes Against Children’s Act.

The accused is alleged to have continuously raped or sexually assaulted his daughter where they lived between January 31, 2014, and June 18, 2015.

The 53-year-old from Suapri village, Maprik District in the East Sepik Province was arrested and charged with two counts of the misappropriation of properties, two counts of Abuse of office, one count of stealing by false pretense and one count of conspiracy to defraud.

Kapris was arrested and charged for misappropriating state peroperties valued at K3, 519,998.

The properties belong to the Maprik District and the state which he allegedly misappropriated for his use and the use of others.

Presiding Magistrate, John Kaumi revealed this to Ikasa today at the Bomana Court House. 

Ikasa is currently in custody at the Bomana Correctional facility.

He was arrested and charged earlier this year with Sexual Penetration and Attempted Murder after assaulting his girlfriend Monica Bellilo.

The incident occurred on March 19, after a night out at a club with Monica.

The assault was really bad, with Monica sustaining serious injuries and was hospitalised for several days.

39-year-old Cleve Horton Sale, from Balopa, Manus Province, the company director of Lakatoi Marine and Cargo surveyors, and George Sariman of Kairuku, Central, briefly appeared in court where his charge and the allegations against them were read.

Sale appeared in court last Thursday, Aug 26, while Sariman appeared yesterday (Tuesday).

Their cases were adjourned to Sept while police continue their investigations into the allegations.

The case in which Pala was arrested and charged for on Nov 2, 2015, with one count of defeating the course of justice, perverting the course of justice and abuse of office, was dismissed today.

All three counts involve allegations that he tried to prevent the course of justice when he consented to a stay application to stop the arrest of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for official corruption on June 17, 2014.

The case was formally dismissed from the Committal Court today by Magistrate John Kaumi following a Supreme Court ruling on July 21.

The 46-year-old Anton Kifan Hombuhanje first appeared in court on April 10 this year. After more than three months in court, a police hand-up brief was not produced in time. It is a practise at the Committal Court for police to produce investigation files within three months. This however, is not a law.

Failure by the investigating officer to prepare investigation files saw the case thrown out by Magistrate Cosmas Bidar for want of prosecution.

The court also ordered for his bail monies of K4,000 be refunded.

Woo’s passport has been with the Committal Court as part of his bail condition while he faces criminal charges at the court.

However, he was deported by Immigration on July 2 without his passport, two days after the Committal Court refused an application by Immigration asking the court to hand over the passport.

Woo was allegedly ordered by the chief migration officer to be deported from the country within seven days of the notice being served. His lawyer, Greg Sheppard, told the court in June that his client was never served the order.   

The court found there was no prima facie ground or sufficient evidence to commit Hamou to stand trial at the National Court.

Magistrate Cosmas Bidar, in making a ruling, dismissed the charge of abuse of office under section 92 of the criminal code act.

He said based on evidence and submissions, Hamou should have been arrested and charged under section 32 of the Criminal Code for Justification and Excuse: Compulsion. He was charged under the wrong provision of the criminal code act.

Ronald John Webb and Pala returned for mention on Monday before the Committal Court before Magistrate John Kaumi, asking the court to discharge the three information charging Pala.

Pala was arrested and charged on Nov 2, 2015, with one count of defeating the course of justice, perverting the course of justice and abuse of office. He was released on K6,000 bail the same day.

Magistrate Cosmas Bidar had the case of receiving a stolen laptop struck out in court after no police investigation files or hand-up briefs were served on the defendant, Carol Thomas, within the required three months.

“This case was first mentioned on March 30. It’s been three months since and there have been neither files served nor instructions from the arresting officer.

“Sufficient time has been given, the charge does not need extensive investigation,” Bidar said when ordering the case to be struck out and bail monies of Thomas refunded.