31 escape as guard sleeps

The National Main Stories

By JIMMY KALEBE
A GROUP of 31 men on remand escaped from a police station holding facility in Lae early yesterday after taking the key from a guard who was fast asleep, reportedly drunk, police say.
Met Supt Chris Kunyanban said the officer guarding the facility called the watch house was suspended because he was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and had fallen off to sleep. The 31 fled sometime between 1am and 6am yesterday.
“The cell guard was fast asleep after consuming alcohol with juvenile prisoners in the watch house. The detainees took the cell keys from his pocket, opened the cell gates and escaped,” Supt Kunyanban said.
He said the metropolitan police were alerted around 6.35am and managed to arrest four of the men on Seventh Street.
The other 27 are still at large.
Of the 31, 15 were facing charges relating to serious offences, six were charged with being in possession of dangerous drugs, and 10 for minor offences.
Kunyanban said of the four re-arrested, one was facing a murder charge while the other three had been charged with minor offences.
He called on the people especially family members of the men to assist the police in rearresting them.
He solely blamed the incident on the negligence of cell guards.
“The cell guard on duty has been suspended and investigation has commenced,” he said.
“The investigation will also look at the system in place, security protocols and standard operating procedures.”
There are more than 140 kept at the facility which should only be holding a maximum of 100.
Some have already been convicted and awaiting their transfer to Buimo prison.
Meanwhile, police are yet to re-arrest the 33 who escaped from Buimo on Aug 14.
He said some of those on the run knew well how police conduct their operations. They avoid places where police frequent.
“It is becoming very hard. But we are relying on public assistance,” Kunyanban said.
Police suspect that some could have travelled to other provinces.
He warned people especially family members that harbouring criminals is an offence.

26 comments

  • Why suspend? This warrants a termination. Under influence of alchohol and on duty – security & policy have been breached and safety compromised!

  • This is PNG, anything goes….white man laws conflict with PNG version self rule and govern…. Everything in PNG’s governance system is made up of a PNG version of doing things because No One in authority don’t even give a damn about it anyway…. Like we say ‘Its all Lip Service’ No Action. Clear example here, undicipline officer, official corruption, birbery, planned escape…….
    Who in authority are fixing up the system, either they are also corrupt or their good intentions are at the bottom of the list because its not a priority area at these stage…………..Hence, the decay continues for the next 45 years and beyond. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE PNG or SHOULD WE REALLY CELEBRATE???????

  • Axe the cell guard. Does the law allow for duty officers to consume alcohol? How and why did he consume alcohol with juvenile prisoners? Investigate and terminate him immediately. He is not a good police constable in the Constabulary. This news is making headlines and tarnishes the good name of the constabulary implicating him with alcohol consumption whilst on duty and drinking with juvenile prisoners. This is news.

  • Cell keys should be kept somewhere in the main office after hours and not with guards who are mending the security gates.
    Police men and women have more lot to do.This is another extra job which they have already done and completed.Now they will go around looking for them while CIS team just relaxing and letting them go free all the time.Really tired of seeing this.

  • Seems like it was a bribery deal. Was the officer heavily drunk that he couldn’t feel prisoners hands got into his pocket to get the key? Just terminate him without consideration, he tarnish the reputation of royal constable

  • THIS MESSAGE BELOW, I GO FOR IT
    This is PNG, anything goes….white man laws conflict with PNG version self rule and govern…. Everything in PNG’s governance system is made up of a PNG version of doing things because No One in authority don’t even give a damn about it anyway…. Like we say ‘Its all Lip Service’ No Action. Clear example here, undicipline officer, official corruption, birbery, planned escape…….
    Who in authority are fixing up the system, either they are also corrupt or their good intentions are at the bottom of the list because its not a priority area at these stage…………..Hence, the decay continues for the next 45 years and beyond. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE PNG or SHOULD WE REALLY CELEBRATE???????

  • Why does a lone drunken guard keeps the keys? And how can a cell guard come to work under the influence of alcohol? Such officers lack discipline and respect for the office they hold. He should not be suspended only but fired altogether from the force. The police does not need useless undisciplined idiots to wear the uniform and bring the name of the force into disregard. This is truly disgraceful.

  • Good news??? now lets see what the PPC for Morobe do to his men on duty that night?? some good police officers around country doing their duty diligently while these socalled officers from Lae police station guarding the town cell Tarnish the good reputation of police constable in the Country.

  • All prison break outs are preplanned. Nothing to play blame game. Officers need to be axed completely. This stupid officer also breached the law by drinking with juveniles while on duty. Why suspension? He should be terminated straight away and locked him in the cell and do investigation.

  • First of, the officer should be terminated (and charged too) and NOT suspended. Being under the influence of alcohol while on duty is a serious offence, especially when it is coming from the very people who are meant to keep us all aligned with the law. The more they are suspended, the more others would think “if I do the same bai ol suspendim me tasol, no big deal”.
    Secondly, igat sampela kain wei lo pablik iken luksave lo dispela ol 60pla (33 + 27) man i ronowe lo kalabus? Because if police is calling for public assistance in recapturing these escapees, how can the general public identify them when we don’t even know who they are? If the police and correctional service could provide names, origins, descriptions, photographs, etc to the general public so these men can be easily/promptly identified and reported to the right authorities (like Crime Stoppers that used to be aired on EM TV, whatever happened to that program???).

  • Very well done, drunk and he reported to work. Well he enjoys his beer so give him the first strick out. He can have all the time to use it on drinking.

  • That particular officer should be terminate,
    Being under the influence of alchohol while ON DUYT is against the laws of our nation especially to those government forces.
    So,I strongly ask for termination so that his college (ol wan work blo em) would learn from his mistakes.

  • What a shame! This must be the stupidest officer ever recruited by RPNGC. I dont understand how they managed to get the keys off the guard/police officer! Maybe he missed the part on “HOW TO STORE CELL KEYS TRAINING “at Bomana Training College.

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