33 cops graduate in Bougainville

THIRTY-three police officers graduated with basic community auxiliary policing (CAP) certificates at Tunuru Catholic Mission near Arawa, central Bougainville, last Thursday.
The graduating officers were recruited from north, central and south Bougainville.
Most were from Me’ekamui-controlled area ruled by rebel leader Damien Koike in the southern district of Bougainville.
Bougainville police chief ACP Thomas Eluh, senior provincial magistrate Peter Toliken, acting New Zealand police commander Claire Starr, Kieta district executive manager Lucy Traverts and a representative from the Me’ekamui faction William Mungta were all present to witness the event.
Also present were Bougainville police personnel from Buka, Arawa, Bana and Buin police stations. 
Eluh told the officers that their passing out was only the first phase of their ongoing training, adding that the importance of self discipline for both regular and auxiliary police officers.
The recruits, who were sworn in by a senior magistrate, were urged to be faithful to their duties as “servants of the law”.
Meanwhile, New Zealand police commander Claire Starr congratulated the officers for completing the first phase of the programme and stressed that further training would be available for them in the near future.
Two female members beat their male counter parts in the training programme.
CAP Anastasia Tologina from Buka, northern command, was awarded dux of the intake for excellence in academic studies while CAP Belinda Eric from Wakunai, Central Bougainville, took out the most outstanding recruit in drill award.