Relatives Of Slain Magistrate Want Justice
A committal court sitting in Port Moresby last week ruled there was insufficient evidence to commit four West Papuans to stand trial for murder in the National Court.
However, the same court ruled policeman Micky Lausi, 35, from Uritai village in PNG’s Gulf province had a case to answer and committed him to stand trial for wilful murder.
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Despite the successful prosecution, the relatives of the murdered magistrate said they were not happy with the verdict.
“The accused policeman was among the West Papuan refugees who committed the offence and was arrested a few days later, after the West Papuans refugees were group arrested soon after the incident. The handpicking of the four accused West Papuan refugees was done at the Boroko police station and the process should continue until the culprits are rounded up,” said Karlus Kepakan, who is an in-law of Cappo.
Kepakan, who is the secretary of a committee which was formed soon after the death of the magistrate and is made up of relatives and family members, said they believe state agencies have not done a thorough investigation of the murder.
“We urge the law enforcement agencies to revisit the case and bring the culprits behind bars for their evil acts,” Kepakan said.
West Papuans Christopher Waromi, 23, Arno Kafiar, 19, John Kumarra, 23, and David Koivi, 19, were acquitted by the court for lack of evidence.
Cappo was heading home at about 2.30am on October 20, 2007 from a Port Moresby hotel when he lost control of his vehicle as he drove towards Bank South Pacific’s Port Moresby headquarters.
His vehicle allegedly ended up in a makeshift tent occupied by West Papuans next to downtown Port Moresby’s ADF Haus, immediately triggering a confrontation with bystanders as it reversed and went into another tent.
The melee resulted in the death of Cappo and the four West Papuans were interviewed and charged four days later for wilful murder.
The defendants and their families had set up camp outside ADF House to protest the refusal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to repatriate them to a third country, before the incident involving the deceased.
The four West Papuans have rejoined their families and are waiting for the UNHCR and the PNG government to make a decision on their future, though the UN agency says the West Papuans do not qualify for repatriation to a third country because they do not fulfil the criteria.
