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| Killing mars 7th Goroka coffee show | |
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By ZACHERY PER A MURDER and drunken brawls marred the 7th PNG Coffee Festival held in Goroka, Eastern Highlands province, at the weekend. A fight that erupted from within the confines of the Raun Raun Theatre grounds, the venue of the festival, resulted in the death of a young man from Manto village near the Asaro government station. Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Teddy Tei confirmed the killing, saying police picked up the body close to the festival venue. The body is now at the Goroka Base Hospital morgue, awaiting identification by Manto villagers. Supt Tei said there were also a number of drunken brawls at different locations, including the University of Goroka where the variety night show was staged. “A number of people were referred to the hospital for treatment,” he said. Hundreds of coffee seedlings and other displays at the festival were destroyed in the fight. Festival organiser Norman Carver could not be reached for comments. Corporate and private organisations with stalls at the festival venue packed up and left as rumours of tribal revenge spread among the showgoers. Many of those who attended the festival were school children. And participants from the corporate and private sectors were mostly from outside Goroka. In his opening address, Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Hickey said the festival unites coffee industry stakeholders. While congratulating coffee farmers and those involved in the processing and exporting of coffee, Mr Hickey also highlighted the importance of transport infrastructure, especially roads, in getting coffee to the open market. Five companies put up stalls with 50 traditional singsing groups provided entertainment at the festival. |
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