By Vicky Baunke
A Lutheran church pastor in the Eastern Highlands Province has been arrested by police in Goroka for accusing another person for practising sorcery, causing threat to the person’s life.
This is described to be the first arrest made by police under the reviewed sorcery Accusation Act.
According to information by police, it is alleged that Ps Thomas Aro, 70 of Kuru village, Henganofi District in the Eastern Highlands Province a Lutheran Church Pastor pastoring the Fayantina circuit in Henganofi District on Tuesday 19th January 2023 accused a person for being a sorcerer telling his family that they had already killed two of his accomplices and that he (complainant) would be the next to be killed, following the death of a young girl in the Kuru village, Henganofi district in the Eastern Highlands province.
According to police the accused person reported the matter to the Goroka Police station on the 24th January in fear of his life following the accusations of the name tag ‘sorcerer’ which has resulted in the murder of many innocent people in the community.
The defendant was brought to the police station two weeks later following requests by police with assistance from the local village court magistrate.
According to police both parties had agreed to an out of court settlement but that did not eventuate after a month, however, upon requests by the complainant the defendant was brought back to the police station where he was arrested.
The matter was then investigated by the Eastern Highlands Crime and Investigation (CID) Homicide department where a record of interview was conducted and he was formally arrested and charged with one count of Sorcery Accusation by deforming the character of another person under section 520 E (1)(c) of the PNG Criminal Code Act.
According to the CID Homicide department and Arresting Officer Constable Steven Bowo, it can be said that most of the reported murder cases in the province are all related to sorcery related killings and accusations.
The defendant is currently detained at the Goroka Police cell and will appear before the Goroka district court for mention.
