11 gang members to be charged

ELEVEN men remain in custody in Alotau awaiting to be charged for offences that are likely to range from possession and discharging of firearms, robbery, burning eight homes and even murder, according to police. Superintendent of police operations in the National Capital District Chief Inspector Michael Tilae, who recently took over from Chief Inspector George Bayagau as the acting Milne Bay police commander, said from Alotau yesterday: “We want to pursue and ensure all gang members are arrested and charged. At the moment we’ve arrested 11, now we are collecting statements to identify suspects on various crimes like arson, robbery, etc. One issue we have is that there is no magistrate in Alotau to process them, they have to appear.”
Tilae said police aimed to restore law and order in Alotau and outer lying islands in Milne Bay.
Police said the 11 arrested were part of Tommy Baker’s gang who caused mayhem in Milne Bay with alleged murders, holdups and robberies.