Baker’s ally surrenders

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
A MAN who claims to be a close associate of wanted criminal Tommy Baker has given himself up to police in Alotau.
Toaleki Tomoufa, 20, known also as Toxy, from Dabobo village in the Gopaya-Nigila local level government in Alotau, was brought in on a makeshift stretcher because of a gunshot wound on his leg he reportedly got during the clash with police last month.
Police sources in Alotau told The National that Tomoufa, who claims to be one of Baker’s gunmen, surrendered yesterday at Kelewa village in the Maramatana local level government in Alotau.
It followed negotiations between officers from the police intelligence and juvenile units and some members of Baker’s gang in the bush to bring out the injured Tomoufa.
Officers from the intelligence and major crimes units, supported by mobile squad members, picked Tomoufa up.
They took him to the Alotau Hospital to be admitted because of the infected gunshot wound on his leg.
Police said he also had other injuries after police fired on the gang along the North Coast highway after the confrontation with police on April 29 and 30.
It is understood that Tomoufa with others fled into the Gopaya mountains.
They managed to establish contact with an officer from the police juvenile justice unit.
He was carried down from the mountains by fellow gang members to Taupota and handed over to police at Kelewa village.
Police tried to talk to the gang members who brought him down about surrendering too.
“They are willing to come out of hiding but stated that there is no guarantee for their safety,” a source said.
Maramatana LLG councillor Robert Adilawa assured police that he would try to convince them to give themselves up too.
Adilawa also said that most of those in hiding were not criminals but were only worried about their safety.