Three cops jailed for trying to obstruct course of justice

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3 cops jailed for trying to obstruct course of justice

PORT MORESBY: Three policemen were jailed by the National Court on Wednesday (Nov 10, 2021) for trying to obstruct the course of justice.

Justice Teresa Berrigan described the case as “a serious attack” on justice.

Details of the court proceedings were reported by The National:

Three cops jailed

November 11, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By BEVERLY PETER
A JUDGE has jailed three policemen for attempting to obstruct the course of justice, telling them “it is a serious attack” on the justice system.
Justice Teresa Berrigan in the National Court in Waigani said: “Public confidence in the criminal justice system depends in very large part on the hard work and integrity of the police force. They are at the front line of law and order.” She jailed Constable Tony Kande, 46, of Imero village, Daulo, Eastern Highlands, and Senior Constable Henry Naio, 44, of Magom village, Nawaeb, Morobe for two years, and First Constable Wilson Muka, 41 of Kilip village, North Waghi, Jiwaka for 18 months.
“The public are entitled to expect that those sworn to enforce and uphold the law will do so without fear or favour,” Justice Berrigan said.
“It is a serious attack on the system of justice, and on public confidence in it, that the very people responsible for enforcing the laws of the country decide that those laws do not apply to them or their colleagues.
“No one is above the law.”
The court was told that contempt charges were issued by the National Court against Sergeant Philip Pokop and 10 police officers who were alleged to have frustrated the execution of a warrant for the arrest of the former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
On Oct 19, 2014, at about 6pm, Chief Sergeant Patrick Premenga and Chief Sergeant Bernard Barum, with members of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, attempted to serve the contempt charges on Sgt Pokop, Ela Ravu and Henry Naio at their homes.
Sgt Pokop and Ela Ravu refused to accept the charges. Naio was not at home at the time.
Premenga and his men then debriefed and returned to their homes.
Between 7pm and 8pm that evening (Oct 19) three vehicles arrived at Premenga’s house at the Games village in Waigani.
Sgt Pokop, Tony Kande, Henry Naio, and two others stormed up the stairs to the verandah, and told Premenga to come outside.
When he came to the door they said they were going to kill him.
Kande, who was drunk, punched him.
Pokop pointed an M16 rifle at him. Kande pointed a hand gun at his face.
Later a second shot was fired from an M16 rifle into the rear tyre of Premenga’s police-issued vehicle parked in the driveway.
The whole incident took about half an hour before the three and other policemen left.
Muka did not go up to Premenga’s verandah but was among officers who went to his house that night.
Justice Berrigan found that the three threatened Premenga with the intention of obstructing the course of justice.
Justice Berrigan rejected the submission that the three officers were just following orders when they threatened Premenga.
“Regardless of any infighting within the Constabulary, it was not for the offenders to take the law into their own hands,” she said.
Justice Berrigan said it was apparent from Premenga’s testimony and his comments to the Probation Services that the offence had a profound impact on him and his family.