By JASON SOM KAUT
CARTONS of beer flown into Oro province yesterday were seized by authorities at Girua airport yesterday.
The beer cartons were put back in the chartered plane that brought the beer into the flood stricken province, and sent back to Port Moresby.
Three expatriate employees of a major business house in the province had accompanied the beer in the chartered plane.
As they were unloading the beer at the airport, angry people shouted at them.
This happened at around 1pm, apparently in the presence of State of Emergency Controller Col Vagi Oala, other SoE officers and the public, who were awaiting the arrival of a National Works team from Port Moresby to assess the situation in Oro.
The works team arrived on an Air Niugini flight at 1.30pm.
This was revealed yesterday afternoon by a local businessman Peter Chan of Oro Motors.
Liquor is banned in the province under the SoE.
Mr Chan said a Twin Otter chartered by the business house (named) flew more than 10 cartons of beer with the expatriates into the province.
“People are suffering and some business houses and individuals are buying cartons of beer and alcohol while the people need more food and medicine,” Mr Chan said.
He said the controller and police personnel ordered the alcohol to be put back into the chartered plane and flown back to Port Moresby.
The expatriates had strong exchange of word with Col Oala, who refused to budge.
A similar incident occurred last Friday when police confiscated 42kg of marijuana and 50 bottles of liquor from passengers aboard a vessel travelling to Oro from Lae.