‘Escapee’ chopped up

A MAN, claiming to be a Bomana jail escapee and an accomplice of alleged bank robber William Kapris, is recovering at Angau Memorial Hospital last night after he was attacked and chopped in the right leg yesterday morning at 9-Mile market in Lae.
Earlier, the “escapee”, who went by the name of Mero Mosbi, had allegedly threatened to kill a Menyamya man in Lae if he was not given K5,000 in cash immediately.
He also allegedly threatened to kill the family of the Menyamya man and members of the Menyamya Morobe Security Services.
Police confirmed the attack on Mero Mosbi but did not say whether he was a Bomana escapee.
The story, according to the Menyamya man who asked for anonymity, was that Mosbi had approached him at the 9-Mile market and asked to borrow an unspecified amount of money. He was given the money because he had promised to pay back the next day.
The next day Mosbi asked for more money.
Then excuses started flowing in and more money was given to Mosbi, leading to the demand for K5,000.
After more weekend calls between Mosbi and the Menyamya man, it was agreed that the latter would arrive at the 9-Mile market on Sunday morning (yesterday) to receive K5,000.
But by 6.30am yesterday, Mosbi was lying in agony, on a makeshift stretcher, his right leg almost chopped off, his left side with deep wounds and his left hand nearly severed.
“Mero Mosbi said he was a prison escapee from the Bomana jail and that he escaped from jail with William Kapris.
“He threatened to kill me, my family and members of the Menyamya Morobe Security Service if the money was not paid to him.”
The Menyamya man said that the “escapee” had previously demanded and received large sums of money from him.
This time, because of his threats, the matter was reported to the police who were said to have told the Menyamya people to keep a close watch on the man.
Early yesterday morning, when Mosbi arrived at the 9-Mile market, he was attacked and ended up on the ground with his right leg almost cut off from the knee, his right side with a deep wound and his left hand almost cut as well.
Police arrived on the scene soon after the attack and took him to the hospital where his condition could not be ascertained from the hospital authorities last night.
Furthermore, information on what police are doing about the “escapee”, or his true identity could not be obtained.