Elderly Man arrested for forging Court Judge's signature
Police in Western Highlands region of Papua New Guinea arrested an elderly man on Friday for allegedly forging the signature of Mt Hagen National Court judge Justice Goodwin Poole.
Provincial police commander, Chief Supt Martin Lakari told The National yesterday that Humble Paul, of Lumusa sub district in Mul-Baiyer, Western Highlands who pretended to be a lawyer, allegedly forged Justice Poole’s signature on two occasions on a fake court order and a warrant of execution.
Lakari said the court order was dated January 31, 2014, and the fake warrant of execution was dated February 12, 2016.
He said both documents were alleged to have been forged based on a purported writ of summons taken by Sam Paro against Digicel in 2013.
He said that Paro engaged Paul, who claimed to be a lawyer, in his case against Digicel PNG for a tower erected on his land at Surinki in Lagaip-Porgera district, Enga.
Lakari said Paul, without going to court, obtained a National Court order for K486,400 for his client which was never paid by the defendant.
He said that the court order was allegedly stamped by a female clerk of the Mt Hagen National Court. She has died.
Lakari said Paro paid Paul K16,000 to take his case without knowing that he was not a genuine lawyer.
He said Justice Poole, after finding out about the fake court documents bearing his signature, laid a complaint with Mt Hagen police in 2014 which resulted in the arrest of Paul. Lakari said Paul was arrested and charged last Friday with forgery and uttering.
He was refused bail and is likely to be slapped with other charges following investigations.
“This is the first case police discovered but I believe there were more fake court documents bearing signatures of National and Supreme Court judges floating around in the province,” he said.
Lakari appealed to the people and businesses to check the court registry when served with a court order. The National
Provincial police commander, Chief Supt Martin Lakari told The National yesterday that Humble Paul, of Lumusa sub district in Mul-Baiyer, Western Highlands who pretended to be a lawyer, allegedly forged Justice Poole’s signature on two occasions on a fake court order and a warrant of execution.
Lakari said the court order was dated January 31, 2014, and the fake warrant of execution was dated February 12, 2016.
He said both documents were alleged to have been forged based on a purported writ of summons taken by Sam Paro against Digicel in 2013.
He said that Paro engaged Paul, who claimed to be a lawyer, in his case against Digicel PNG for a tower erected on his land at Surinki in Lagaip-Porgera district, Enga.
Lakari said Paul, without going to court, obtained a National Court order for K486,400 for his client which was never paid by the defendant.
He said that the court order was allegedly stamped by a female clerk of the Mt Hagen National Court. She has died.
Lakari said Paro paid Paul K16,000 to take his case without knowing that he was not a genuine lawyer.
He said Justice Poole, after finding out about the fake court documents bearing his signature, laid a complaint with Mt Hagen police in 2014 which resulted in the arrest of Paul. Lakari said Paul was arrested and charged last Friday with forgery and uttering.
He was refused bail and is likely to be slapped with other charges following investigations.
“This is the first case police discovered but I believe there were more fake court documents bearing signatures of National and Supreme Court judges floating around in the province,” he said.
Lakari appealed to the people and businesses to check the court registry when served with a court order. The National
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