Six PNG Defence Force Soldiers have been committed to stand trial at the National Court, for the murder of a teenage boy in Port Moresby last year.
Waigani District Court Magistrate, John Kaumi, ruled that there was sufficient evidence found to commit the six.
At the end of this month, the six soldiers will have one final opportunity to appeal to the court’s leniency.
The six defendants are Francis Nasi, Jude Nidung, David Tappe, Kenneth Yangun, Tabias Samson, Gregory Tuaki and Alwin Matiabe.
All are between the ages of 25 and 26.
Magistrate Kaumi handed down a short ruling this morning.
He committed the soldiers to the National Court and ordered their lawyer to file a Section 96 statement in reply to the ruling, or forever remain silent.
It was alleged that a fight broke out between a group of students from Kilakila Secondary and the defendants on the morning of July 25, 2015.
The court heard that the students were on their way to Kilakila Secondary for cultural day celebrations, when two of the soldiers approached them, and assaulted them.
That evening, the late Jeremiah Yinu, who was a student at the Salivations Army Secondary, was mistaken for one of the Kilakila students and badly assaulted by two of the defendants who were alleged to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.
All six were charged for one count of murder under the Criminal Code Act.
Their bail has been extended.
