INDONESIA: Murder charges dropped against 4 Papuans
Updated
Four refugees from the Indonesian province of Papua, accused of the murder of a Papua New Guinea court magistrate in October last year, have been freed of murder charges.
Presenter: Firmin Nanol
Speakers: Spokesman for the freed Papuan refugees, Samuel Ingamaer
NANOL: PNG police arrested and charged the four men, Christopher Waromi, Arno Kafiar, John Kimara, and David Koivi, over the alleged murder of a PNG court magistrate late, Ivvo Cappo in October last year. They were part of a group of nearly 80 refugees from the Indonesian province of Papua living in PNG, who had set up camp near the UN Refugee office in Port Moresby and refused efforts by the refugee office to send them to another country.
Mr Cappo had been driving through PNG's capital, Port Moresby, in the early morning of October 2007, when he reportedly lost control of the vehicle he was driving and crashed into the refugee camp.
He was allegedly attacked and stoned to death by several refugees when he got out of his car after the accident.
The four men were remanded in jail for over 4 months while awaiting their court appearance. PNG's Waigani District court has now found there was insufficient evidence to allow the four men to stand trial in PNG National court for murder.
However the court has decided there is sufficient evidence for a fifth suspect - a policeman Micky Lausi, from PNG's Gulf province - shall stand trial in the National Court for murder.
The four freed men have been advised by their lawyer not to speak openly to the media about the court's ruling for the next 40 days, as there are concerns police may use what they say to lay fresh charges against them.
The men are now back living with their families, who number more than 80 individuals including women and children, at PNG's Boroko police station. The group was moved there out of fear of reprisal attacks over the magistrate's murder. Spokesman for the refugee group, Samuel Ingamaer says they are delighted to be freed and reunited with their families, and that their names have been cleared.
INGAMAER: We feel happy that our boys aren ot guilty of the murder of Ivvo Cappo, and we are not involved directly or indirectly in his death. All West Papuans believe that we did not do, or even Papua New Guinea people, do not believe that Ivvo Cappo was done by us, and now that our boys are released, we did not do that incident.
NANOL: At the time, when the incident happened, was there some sort of fear within the West Papuan community that were residing near the UN office?
INGAMAER: Yes of course, there was fear among ourselves, until the court decided we were not guilty, and then there was a relief within ourselves.
NANOL: How would you welcome the decision?
INGAMAER: I would welcome the decision - it is good, because we believe in our hearts that none of us did, or contributed to, the death of the late Ivvo Cappo, and we also respect him, he's a statesperson, we also respect him, and we wouldn't do this terrible thing.
