Court hands down murder verdict

On 6 December 2024, the National Court sitting in Ramu, Madang, found Nitawa Tawa guilty of murder under Section 300(1)(a) of the Criminal Code.

Tawa, who had been charged with wilful murder under Section 299, was accused of killing Gideon Kururuwa on 19 September 2022 in Mopo Village, Usino-Bundi District.

The court, presided over by Dr Vergil Los Narokobi, heard that Tawa and three others—Phillipon Kaun, Yabo Wais, and David Nitawa—attacked Kururuwa in the kitchen of his sister, Leah Philip. Witnesses said Kururuwa suffered severe injuries, including cuts to his wrists, fingers, ankles, and head, as well as punctures to his ribs, resulting in death from heavy blood loss.

Philip, the deceased’s sister, testified she saw the attack happen five meters from her house.

“They cut his fingers, wrists, elbows, ankle, and two sides of his head,” she said. During cross-examination, Philip remained firm in her account.

Justice Narokobi noted, “there was no reason why she would lie to the court.”

Another witness, Momis Kururuwa, said he found his brother lying on the ground after hearing commotion and was told by the victim that Tawa and others were responsible for the attack.

Tawa denied involvement, claiming he had an altercation with the deceased earlier but was not present during the attack.

He stated in his police interview that another man, Kaun, was the one who killed Kururuwa.

However, the court found inconsistencies in Tawa’s statements and rejected his defense.

Justice Narokobi ruled that while the State’s evidence did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that Tawa had intended to kill the victim, it did confirm his active participation in the killing.

The court downgraded the charge from willful murder to murder, stating, “The evidence was lacking on the element of intention to kill.”

The absence of an autopsy report was noted, but Justice Narokobi concluded that the cause of death—blood loss from multiple knife wounds—was clear.

Tawa now faces sentencing, with penalties for murder ranging from life imprisonment to lesser terms, depending on mitigating factors.