|
By GABRIEL FITO
Four auxiliary policemen, who were among a group of Weimog and Kuberen
villagers that attacked and terrorised Bioes villagers of Woginara in
East Sepik late last month, have been given 14 days to surrender to
police all firearms used in the mob attack.
In a reconciliation ceremony held at Woginara village recently, members
of the Wewak-based police task force gave the ultimatum to the four
auxiliary policemen and their supporters to surrender all firearms
including licenced Winchester shotguns and home-made guns by this
Saturday.
The cause of the fight was not known but police believed that it was
orchestrated by political differences between supporters of the new
member-elect for Wewak Jim Simatab and former member Kimson Kare.
A representative for the Bioes villagers alleged that the four auxiliary
policemen played a leading role in an offensive attack that saw a total
of eight gunshots fired at Mr Simatab’s supporters.
He said luckily none of them was killed.
The spokesman, who requested anonymity, alleged that the police
hierarchy were well aware of the involvement of the policemen, but did
not take any action against them for bringing the image of the force
into disrepute.
He said as a result, the people of Woginara had completely lost the
trust and confidence in the work of their auxiliary policemen because of
those officers’ involvement in the fight, and the police hierarchy’s
inability to discipline its members.
The community leader added that two of the policemen had been airlifted
by helicopter last week to Mt Albowagi repeater station to provide
security there, while the other two were seen wearing police uniform and
performing normal duties in the village.
He said the villagers were currently in the process of putting together
a petition which would be presented to Provincial Police Commander Leo
Kabilo and head of the Community Auxiliary Police (CAP) chief sergeant
Nick Genim soon, to penalise the four policemen in order to restore
trust and confidence in the work of the police force.
He said the petition would also ask for a separate CAP station at Bioes
village if the four policemen were not penalised because they did not
want a combined station that had tainted officers.
 
|
