Bridges removed to stop police

By JAMES GUMUNO
POROMA villagers are removing bridges to prevent police from going in to retrieve 10 vehicles they had seized.
The vehicles belong to ExxonMobil.
Southern Highlands police commander Chief Supt Martin Lakari told The National yesterday that the villagers removed two bridges linking the village where the vehicles were kept.
He said that police found it very difficult to travel into the village a few kilometres away from the main highway.
“We went there on Tuesday, but couldn’t go in because the bridges connecting the village were removed and also due to rain, the feeder road was very slippery,” he said.
Lakari said police have negotiated with the relatives of those killed in Port Moresby recently in an ethnic clash between the Hela and Southern Highlands, to release the vehicles back to the company.
“The relatives assured us that they will release all the vehicles by Friday,” he said.
Lakari said if they failed to do so, police would go in and remove the vehicles from them.
He said it was the work of some opportunists taking advantage of the situation in Port Moresby to burden an innocent company.
“I want to appeal to the people of Hela and Southern Highlands to refrain from taking the law into your own hands,” he said.
Lakari said what had happened at 8-Mile, Port Moresby, was before the police and those involved would face the law.
“Those of us back in the two provinces, we must maintain peace and harmony with our fellow brothers and sisters from Hela and Southern Highlands,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lakari said the road was free and normal traffic flowed.