Judge notes emergence of organised crime in PNG

A JUDGE warned yesterday that organised crime was emerging as a revenue earner for a lot of people in the country. Justice Cathy Davani issued the warning when sentencing Malaysian Joseph Siew Fong Ng to three years in jail for stealing.
The court found that with the help of others, Ng stole K57,660 worth of axes belonging to Brian Bell, and K174,850 worth of tulip tinned meat belonging to Naruwe Agencies in July 2004.
The axes and tinned meat were stolen from the wharf in an organised robbery involving security guards, Harbours Board personnel and truck drivers. The items were removed from the wharf and unloaded at Pari village.

Justice Davani said from the evidence and statements tendered, it was clear that Ng was involved in the organisation and planning of the crime. She said it was clear certain people spent countless hours planning.
“I have seen that this offence bears the hallmark of organised crime. A lot of people were involved and, no doubt, monies may have been exchanged either before or after the crime,” she said in her 15-page sentence.
“Each person had a part to play, from the forklift driver to the security guard, to the truck driver, and those who unloaded the goods and distributed them to various parts of the city.
“Organised crime had gained a foothold in major cities and countries in both Asia and the Western world. And, it is emerging in this country as a revenue earner for a lot of our people. Those who are manipulating the strings are those with cash to spend.
“And, people involved in this crime are those who benefited from the cash and the goods stolen. It is corrupting the bureaucratic machinery and, unfortunately, a lot of it is not prosecuted because of lack of resources or threats and intimidation to witnesses.”
The judge said the court would not be tied down by the fact that Ng had a wife and a daughter, this was his first offence and that he had a business to run, because organised crime was serious.
The judge disregarded several references and letters from various people supporting a suspended sentence for the prisoner. One of the letters was purported to have come from acting Attorney-General Fred Tomo, seeking a suspended sentence for Ng. Mr Tomo had denied writing the letter. The judge said the authenticity of the letter was questionable.
Another letter, purported to have come from Bishop Mark Gaius of St Peters Cathedral, Erima, was described by the judge as fabricated because Erima does not have a Cathedral called St Peters. The only cathedral is the St Mary’s Cathedral in town. The Erima Parish does not have a bishop resident there.
Other letters, which were also rejected, allegedly came from the director-general of the Office of the Prime Minister Joseph Assaigo, dated June 8, 2006, from Pastor Kiap Trakalawa of the Baptist Union of PNG and from Peter Yambi of the NCD Probation Service, dated June 9, 2006

The National, PNG, 21 June 2006.