GOOD morning. The current Defence Minister’s statement declaring the setting up of the board of inquiry into the Moti affair as “unlawful” is an expression of opinion and not a legal judgement.
***
THE whole circumstance of the Moti saga should be the subject of an exhaustive investigation by a Royal Commission. Those who are doing their utmost to bury the Moti incident cannot be allowed to succeed. The unvarnished truth must be revealed in the interests of the people of PNG and the international reputation of our nation.
***
WE’VE become used to the domestic brawls that attend too many rugby league games, and we’ve only just got over a potential bowls champion being withdrawn from SP Games competition. Now we learn of a completely unacceptable incident allegedly involving two alcohol-affected Singapore Sevens rugby union players on the return flight to Port Moresby.
***
SOME passengers on the flight spoke of their anxiety when a scuffle broke out among the players following the alleged refusal of two of them to fasten seatbelts prior to landing. The PNG Union chief says that all players were warned to be on their best behaviour before, after and during the Singapore games.
***
CLEARLY his remarks had limited impact. The only answer may be to completely ban the consumption of alcohol by all overseas sports teams both during travel and upon arrival at their overseas fixtures. PNG can ill afford to present a cowboy image to the rest of the world; our existing reputation for lawlessness and violence needs no reinforcement from touring PNG “sportsmen”.
***
REPORTEDLY 27 detainees were in the Lae police cells when 18 of them escaped on Saturday night. Just three policemen were rostered on guard. First, the lock-up was never designed for such a large number of arrested persons and second, nobody should put three policeman in a position where they are required to monitor 27 doubtful characters. Don’t blame the cops.
***
OUR railway Quiz will premiere tomorrow; responses came from a limited few and a surprising number of PNG towns were identified as passenger light rail sites. And for the weekend, there’ll be our new Quiz question. Cheers!
– Dee Nesenolis