Boy seeks justice for father shot while helping police

AN eight-year-old boy, whose father was shot dead – allegedly by police – when he was still a baby, is today seeking justice for the killing.
Dominic Sangi Jr’s father, supposedly a community law and order chairman, was helping a police party to nab a suspect when he was shot and killed.
Robert Sangi, the boy’s uncle, claimed that his brother was a community leader and that he was shot while trying to help police apprehend a suspect
East Sepik police commander Supt Robert Gesa said: “I have no knowledge of the incident. But I will check with Wewak CID to verify the (boy and uncle’s) allegations.”
Dominic is the youngest in a family from Angoram’s Arugunum in East Sepik and his father was shot dead in the early hours of Jan 3, 2011.
Robert told The National: “My brother was an Angoram community law and order chairman who responded to help a police party looking for a suspect.
“The suspect, armed with a bush knife, attacked and severed the fingers of a policeman and fled. The policeman went down on his knees, wailing in pain.
“My brother then tried to help the policeman but was shot at point blank.” Robert further alleged: “My brother’s wife ran out and yelled at the police officers but they trained their guns at her, ordering her to shut up or be shot.
“Police also broke into the village canteen and took some money and store goods worth more than K1000. This was witnessed by many villagers. They (police) threatened us with guns and told us not to report the matter to anyone in Angoram or Wewak.”
Robert said the shooting and incident were never reported to the police in Wewak and “my brother was shot dead for no good reason”.
He said his brother left behind six children with the eldest in grade 7 this year and Dominic in an elementary school in Lae.
Robert said: “Dominic now wants justice to be served for his father’s death. We want the authorities to know that we have been suppressed and that we could not report the matter earlier.”