BY CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE Prosecution Directorate of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary has established a review committee to evaluate cases lost by the police at district courts, according to Police Prosecution Director Chief Inspector Bare Kuiab.
The committee will scrutinize all cases that were dismissed, struck out, or withdrawn during the committal process in district courts throughout the country.
The review will investigate why the cases were lost, whether the police prosecutor failed to properly prosecute the case, if the investigating officer failed to conduct a thorough investigation, or if the complainant had ulterior motives for filing a complaint but later refused to cooperate with the prosecutor and the investigator.
“After all, we want to make ourselves accountable to the people. It costs thousands of kina to do investigation and to prosecute a case. And it’s a waste of tax payers’ funds if police lost the case,” he said.
If the review committee determines that it was the fault of the investigator or the prosecutor, disciplinary action will be taken. The lost cases will also be revived to ensure justice is served.
Mr. Kuiab said that the review committee will be established in all provinces, with the Provincial Police Commanders (PPC) serving as the chairmen.
The Officer in Charges (OIC) of Prosecution will submit monthly reports, and the committee will convene every month, with the OIC Traffic, OIC Criminal Investigation Division, OIC Prosecution, Station Commanders, and PPC in attendance.
The case investigators and prosecutor will explain why the case was lost.
The review committee was established in Lae, Morobe Province, and Kokopo, East New Britain, in 2022, and will be implemented in Madang (Madang Province), Alotau (Milne Bay), and the National Capital District this year.
Mr. Kuiab emphasized the importance of accountability and responsible use of taxpayers’ funds, as investigating and prosecuting a case can be costly.
