‘Brave’ officers to get proper burial

By JAMES GUMUNO
FAMILIES and tribesmen of the two policemen killed in Wabag during the election have finally decided to lay the bodies to rest.
The tribesmen of late Constables Glen Jimmy, from Aviamp village in Jiwaka, and Alex Kopa from Chuave, Chimbu, will remove the bodies from the funeral home in Goroka this week for burial.
The two policemen were members of the Mt Hagen-based Mobile Squad 6 and were deployed to Wabag during the elections when the supporter of a candidate shot and killed them on July 22.
Highlands mobile group commander Senior Inspector Joe Maragil confirmed that arrangements have been made to bring the bodies home for burial.
Maragil said the tribesmen of the two officers and colleagues had not received any response to the petitions given to the Enga government over the killings.
He said that relatives of both officers did not want to leave the bodies in the morgue any longer.
He said the Police Department had charted a plane to transport the caskets from Goroka to Kagamuga Airport in Western Highlands on Friday morning.
Maragil said the caskets would be transported by road to Kimininga police barracks where they would conduct a funeral service at the soccer field.
He said the two caskets would be left at the Downtown funeral home and on Saturday morning, they would be transported by road to Jiwaka and Chimbu.