The relatives of late Imelda Tupi who was allegedly murdered by her husband say the decision of the Mt Hagen Committal Court to dismiss the charges against the accused is an injustice and a slap on their faces.

The aggrieved relatives have therefore planned to stage a peaceful protest in Mendi today to vent their frustration over the Committal Court decision to dismiss the case, a decision they said is unfair and unwelcoming.

According to police, the late Imelda was alleged to have been murdered by her husband (a medical doctor) after a family argument on May 9 this year at Mopa village in the Mendi-Munihu district, Southern Highlands Province.

They said the next day, Dr Simon Temo, 40, and his accomplices, Ken Paul, 27 and Nombe Kasu, 42, were caught by police at a roadblock near Wara Kagul with the lifeless body of Tupi wrapped tightly in a tarpaulin and stowed away in the back of his vehicle.

They drove all the way from Mendi to Hagen with an alleged intention to dump and hide her body somewhere outside of the Southern Highlands.

Police alleged that Dr Temo offered K100 000 to the two policemen who caught them at the roadblock to release them but they refused.

Instead, they were arrested and charged with willful murder of Imelda Tupi Tiamanda and were held in custody at the Baisu Jail outside Mt Hagen.

On two occasions, the National Court in Mt Hagen refused to grant bail for the three accused.

Mr Tiamenda said last week Thursday was a bleak day for the family when the Mt Hagen District Court dismissed the matter and discharged the three accused due to lack of evidence to commit them to stand trial.

Mr Tiamanda said the district court’s decision by presiding magistrate Leonard Mesmin to dismiss the matter and discharge the three from custody due to insufficient evidence was shocking and unacceptable from him, his family and his relatives.

He said two weeks ago, the police prosecution submitted a response objecting to a No-case submission by Temo and his two accomplices but the district court failed to even consider their objection and went ahead with his decision to dismiss the case, claiming that there is no evidence and no intention to commit murder.

“We can’t really believe the decision of the lower court to dismiss the willful murder case. I don’t understand what evidence and what intention the court was referring to.

“There was 100 per cent evidence and intention.

“I would have appreciated if the matter was dismissed at the higher court, not at the lower court.

“I will seek relief at the higher court to review this decision.

“This is injustice and a slap on our faces.

“We wanted justice to prevail and here we have a junior court dismissing the matter, claiming insufficient evidence to commit,” he said.