10 police officers charged

 By ELIZABETH VUVU

TEN police officers in East New Britain were arrested and charged with various offences last week.

Provincial police commander Supt Anthony Wagambie Jnr said that arrests were effected on the officers on completion of investigations into complaints conducted by visiting officers from the Internal Affairs in Port Moresby.

He said five officers from the response unit in Rabaul were charged with allegedly causing grievious bodily harm in an assault case in North Coast Rabaul. They had been remanded in custody but were now out on bail for K600 each.

Another three members from the response unit in Kokopo were charged with alleged wilful murder, which occurred in 2012 where a suspect from Ravat village was beaten to death.

Wagambie said the three suspects were remanded in custody after being refused bail by internal investigators and they were awaiting court at Kerevat.

Another two officers from the Kerevat police were arrested on allegations of sexual touching and sexual penetration of a woman from Baining while she was in custody. The officer arrested for sexual touching was released on bail and the other reservist charged for sexual penetration was remanded in custody.

“The officers arrested are part of response unit in ENB so currently the morale is low among other officers but the members are innocent until proven guilty,” Wagambie said.

He said the three officers held at the Kerevat Correctional Service and had applied for bail through the courts.

“We are concerned for their safety at Kerevat jail because these officers had helped to put many behind bars,” he said.

“We are mindful of their safety. I had assisted in way of affidavit for them to be on bail and for me to be the guarantor but my affidavit was not filed on time so they are at Kerevat jail.”