14 villagers in custody over killing

 Fourteen people are in police lockup in Lae after being suspected of killinmg a man acused of being a sorcerer.

The deceased and the 14 suspects are all from Yemli village in Yamap, Salamaua.

Salamaua district manager Joe Paru said the killing occurred on Dec 29 and with the assistance of Lae police and Yemli village peace officer, Gideon Moses, they were able to round-up the 14 suspects and transport them on two banana boats to Lae on Tuesday.

Paru said that from the details he received, the deceased had been accused of deaths in the village with locals taking the matter into their own hands by knifing the man in the stomach and disemboweling him before chopping him into pieces and setting him alight.  

The deceased was married with five children.

Police could not be contacted to comment but are likely to charge the 14 suspects with murder.