Police guns stolen during time Koroba officers killed

National

Hela provincial police commander Michael Welly, pictured, has confirmed that there had been a break in at the Tari police station during which four fire arms were stolen.
“It happened during the time when the officers from Koroba were killed in Southern Highlands,” he said.
“All our officers from Southern Highlands at the Tari police station left the station and returned to Southern Highlands in fear of retaliation by the deceased police officers’ relatives.
“And we were short of men, and the police station was broken into by opportunists who stole four police firearms.”
Welly said the situation was still tense in the province and many Southern Highlands public servants have returned to their province.
“Some have opted to stay but have sent their families back to Southern Highlands for safety reasons.
“However, the Hela people have proved the critics wrong again and I applaud them for that.”
Welly said that the people of Hela, who have been known for their payback-killing culture, have shown maturity by not retaliating.
“They had a safe and trouble-free election when people thought there would be much violence there and now with the deaths of their police sons when everyone thought they would retaliate they have opted to let the police investigate, arrest and charge the murderers.”