2 cops charged with murder

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
ANOTHER two police constables have been charged with murder, making it a total of three policemen facing homicide allegations within a week in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The two constables from Central police unit were charged with one count of murder each for the death of Emmanuel Ivagai, 27, who was abducted on the Hiritano Highway on March 28.
Last Thursday, Waigani National Court Justice Teresa Berrigan rejected Constable Japhet Muka’s bail application and remanded him in Bomana Prison for two weeks until another detention facility was identified.
The three constables are among 14 policemen who have been suspended pending investigations into their alleged involvement in murders reported in three provinces – New Ireland, Central and Manus – in two weeks, from March 26 to April 7, 2021.
The alleged murders by rogue policemen upset Police Comm David Manning who expressed disgust and called on provincial commanders in the three provinces to thoroughly investigate, arrest and charge the policemen involved if there was evidence of their guilt.
Comm David Manning is showing no mercy to the “bad apples” in his force.
He told The National last week: “There are good men and women who continue to serve the country despite the limited resources.
“It is the few ‘bad apples’ who continue to tarnish our image that we are concerned with.
“We continue to struggle, like other state institutions, with maintaining discipline.
“The investigations that had been initiated is normal for any murder case.
“We will determine and uncover those responsible.”
National Capital District (NCD)/Central commander ACP Anthony Wagamabie Jr said Ivagai went missing after he was picked up by a passing police patrol vehicle on Sunday March 28.
“Almost a week later, on Saturday April 4, a decomposed body was found by a Telecommunications Tower watchman between 8am and 9am at the Tapini junction,” he said.
“He alerted villagers from Biotou who rushed to the location.
“Relatives of the missing young man were informed and identified Ivagai from the clothes he was last seen wearing.
“Ivagai’s family have alleged that the policemen in the passing patrol vehicle are responsible for his death.”
Ivagai’s family, relatives and friends then set up roadblocks that were removed after Central Governor Robert Agarobe and ACP Wagambie visited the grieving relatives.
Police investigators then grounded the two dark blue Toyota Land Cruiser 10-seaters used by Central Police for investigations.
A crime scene reconstruction was carried out with NCD police investigators recording statements from families last week.
In New Ireland’s Lihir Island, six policemen were disarmed and sent back to their base in Kokopo pending investigations into the death of a settler from Tari.
A coroner’s inquest has also been requested in regards to a shooting of a man from Morobe during a looting that was sparked by the death of the Tari man.
The man was allegedly shot with a policeman’s firearm.
Meanwhil, in Western’s North Fly, a policeman was being questioned for a fight that caused the death of a man, sparking a bloody tribal fight that resulted in another two deaths.