Seven murders reported in six weeks, says Gerari

National

Popondetta police reported seven murder cases since  September resulting from homebrew consumption.
Northern police commander Chief Inspector Lincoln Gerari said the suspects in the murder cases had surrendered to police and were in custody.
Gerari said in one of the two latest cases involved an old man allegedly stabbed to death in the early hours of Sunday morning near the Bangoho settlement area in Popondetta town.
He said two of the suspects were apprehended but a third escaped but eventually surrendered to police yesterday.
Gerari said the old man was from Chimbu and a long-time resident of Popondetta and had made a living through selling betel nuts.
He said the man would often sell betel nuts late into the night and early hours of the morning because he was a very well-known person in that area.
As he went about doing his usual business last Saturday night, the suspects, allegedly under the influence of homebrew, came to him and demanded money.
Gerari said when the old man refused to give them money, one of them stabbed him in the chest and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Popondetta General Hospital.
In the other case, a young man from the North Coast area stabbed his girlfriend to death.
Gerari said the suspect was known to police and they picked him up yesterday and he was in custody.
“I’m concerned about this increased number of killings in the province, all related to homebrew.”