PNG Defence Force Soldiers charged for mutiny

Eleven Papua New Guinea  Defence Force soldiers have been charged with mutiny for allegedly refusing a directive from the military headquarters in Port Moresby.

The soldiers had been deployed to Tari in Hela about 17 months ago and were supposed to have returned to Port Moresby earlier. 

They finally returned last Monday and were detained at the Murray Barracks military police cell. 

They were charged with mutiny on Thursday and appeared in the National Court in Waigani on the Thursday and Friday.  

The substantive issues of the case were not heard in court because the lawyers’ practicing licences had expired on Dec 31, 2015.  

Justice Panuel Mogish ordered the lawyers to register their certificates with the PNG Law Society and have them ready before Jan 7 when the case would return to court.

Major Benjamin Edimani told the court that they had stayed in Tari for about a year and five months. 

He said the military had stopped paying them for the past two fortnights. He asked the court to grant them bail since they had not been able to see their families since arriving at Jackson airport on Monday.

Mogish refused Edimani’s request because of the “gravity of the offence”. Mogish said the charge of mutiny under Section 55 of the Defense Act is a “very serious offence” and it carries a penalty of life imprisonment. Mogish told the soldiers that they will still be remanded at the Murray Barracks until they return to court on Thursday.