The Ombudsman Commission is in receipt of a copy of a letter to several authorities concerning the Mt. Hagen District Court Decision and subsequent release of the remandee regarding the matter of late Imelda Tupi.
Whilst the matter is drawing attention, we have noticed public concerns due to that District Decision and its action and a newspaper article regarding threats to shut down Mendi Court house in relation to court decision on the late Imelda Tupi’s case.
The Ombudsman Commission is therefore urging all respective authorities to resolve the matter amicably to avoid threats to vital public assets such as court houses.
Whilst speaking on the imminent threats to public assets, the Mendi Court house for this matter, Chief Ombudsman Richard Pagen also urged the Police and the Public Prosecutor to revisit the case and deal with the matter within their vested powers.
“The dissatisfaction from the family and community over the court decision is understandable given the information surrounding the death of late Imelda Tupi that had been floating around on the public domain”, said the Chief Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman Commission welcomes the decision by the Public Prosecutor to consider exercising his powers under the Criminal Code to charge the accused persons by way of an Ex-Officio Indictment.
Whilst the Commission ‘s jurisdiction over court decisions is lacking, it does have jurisdiction over the Chief Magistrate and the Commissioner of Police.
The Commission therefore is urging the Commissioner of Police, the Public Prosecutor and the Chief Magistrate to address this matter to allow the true interest of justice to prevail.
The Commission at the same time is appealing to the family of the victim and the community to follow proper process in making their appeal and at the same time look after all public assets within their vicinity.