Beer case leads to detention

By DOROTHY MARK
A popular Chinese businessman in Madang has been charged with obstruction of police duty after he refused to allow a policeman to search his shop for beer.
Snovax Ltd owner Peter Sun said another Chinese shop owner was caught selling beer by police.
Since the Chinese man did not know understand Tok Pisin, he gave K500 to the police officer as spot fine fees. The police man accused the Chinese man of bribery and had him arrested.
Sun said he went to the police station to explain to the officer that his friend gave him K500 thinking that he wanted him to pay a spot fine fee.
“I told the police officer that it was K500 so you said it’s bribery money, if it was K5000 maybe you might have taken it and left quietly,” he said.
Sun said because the policeman did not like what he said, went to his shop demanding to search.
“I told the officer to produce a search warrant before searching. He did not have one with him,” he said.
Sun said the officer returned the next day and demanded to search again without a search warrant.
The officer later called Sun to the police station last Friday and charged him with obstruction to police duty. He was not allowed bail and was taken straight to Beon Jail.
Jail commander Andrew Polis said the police officer did not produce a warrant to remand Sun, so they kept him inside the prison fence in a guard house.
Madang provincial police commander Ben Neneo said Sun was awarded police bail of K1000 for obstruction to police duty.
Sun and his other Chinese shop owner who sold beer will appear before the Madang District Court on Feb 6.
Madang police have begun implementing the liquor ban which Madang provincial government imposed for four years.
Members of the Chinese community in Madang were upset and saddened by the action of the policeman.
Sun, who is deputy chairman of the Madang-China PNG Friendship Association, said Chinese businesses in Madang provided much assistance to police and the government.