Thugs set fire to Voco Point police post: Officer

By NICHOLAS SIREO
THE Voco Point police post in Lae was set alight on Saturday night by alleged arsonists.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Northern Region Peter Guinness described it as “an act of retaliation” by thugs to spoil good police work in the city.
He said some men burnt down the building around midnight when there was no one around the premises.
“There is a strong possibility that settlers residing near Voco Point are behind the burning of the police station,” Guinnes told The National.
“We suspect that someone living nearby might have done that to deter good police work in the city.”
He said Voco Point police had earlier apprehended some youths from the nearby settlement.
Guinnes said that would have triggered the burning of the station.
Lae police retaliated yesterday morning and burnt down a number of houses belonging to the settlers.
Lae district law and order chairman James Kinjin condemned the action of those involved in the incident.
He called on the settlers to cooperate with police to apprehend the culprits.
“This is a slap in the face for law and order in the city,” he said.
“If they can burn a police station in the city then how can they respect others?”
According to police reports, it was the second burning of a police post in the city in three months.
Last November, Taraka police station was also set ablaze by drunkards.