By ROSALYN EVARA, Post Courier
Questions were asked last Friday about the statements which were brought before the court by the state witnesses in relation to the Madang Bank South Pacific heist.
The questions were raised by the defence councels and were in relation to dates which had appeared in two of the witnesses statements which apparently were not only contrary to the sworn oral evidence they signed but in one file had been altered with a pen.
Further, that despite claims by the witnesses that their statements were given to police in Tok Pisin the statements on file were in English and were not dated even though the witnessess were able to state when the statements were taken down.
Given these contradictory facts which were presented suggestions were made by the defence lawyers that the witnesses has signed more than one statement but all four insisted they had only done so once.
The first of the witnesses who was called to swear on oath was Ezikiel John Mai who despite in the statement he signed in the file against Isabelle Kivore stated he had met her for the first time on June 26, remained adamant it happened on June 19.
He reached into his pocket pulling out a statement which he claimed contained the real facts which he had given to police and consistent with his testimony in court.
This forced the senior state prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin to seek a brief adjournment from the court to clarify the issue on how many statements had been taken. Soon after the short recess Mr Mai’s daughter Jane was called to the box.
the trial continues at 9am today.
The questions were raised by the defence councels and were in relation to dates which had appeared in two of the witnesses statements which apparently were not only contrary to the sworn oral evidence they signed but in one file had been altered with a pen.
Further, that despite claims by the witnesses that their statements were given to police in Tok Pisin the statements on file were in English and were not dated even though the witnessess were able to state when the statements were taken down.
Given these contradictory facts which were presented suggestions were made by the defence lawyers that the witnesses has signed more than one statement but all four insisted they had only done so once.
The first of the witnesses who was called to swear on oath was Ezikiel John Mai who despite in the statement he signed in the file against Isabelle Kivore stated he had met her for the first time on June 26, remained adamant it happened on June 19.
He reached into his pocket pulling out a statement which he claimed contained the real facts which he had given to police and consistent with his testimony in court.
This forced the senior state prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin to seek a brief adjournment from the court to clarify the issue on how many statements had been taken. Soon after the short recess Mr Mai’s daughter Jane was called to the box.
the trial continues at 9am today.
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