Businessman flees police shooting

 By YVONNE HAIP

A JIWAKA businessman, who narrowly escaped being shot by police in Banz early last month, says he was protecting his money when he fled.

In the event, a stray bullet caught a Fatima Secondary School student who was one of the onlookers. 

Eric Ep was followed to his home at Kudjip in South Waghi where police arrested him, allegedly beat him up, and took him to the Minj police cells where he was locked up and refused bail.

He was charged for driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Ep claimed he was released after 48 hours and was asked to pay police K500. 

He said he later learnt through the media that he was identified by police as an escapee, an allegation which he refuted.

“I am not an escapee, I am a businessman. I own vehicles, a coffee plantation, I have six wives and 16 children. I am a leader,” Ep said.

“I was not drunk when police chased me and as a leader I would have stopped if police wanted me. But I drove for my life because I knew that if police caught me, they would check my car and get my money and never return it.

“It’s their habit to keep whatever they get after searching suspects and I had K21,000 cash in the car at that time which I could not afford to lose.

“I was arrested and wrongfully charged. I was never allowed bail rather compensated police instead, and kept in the cells.

“The cell was literally full of s*** because it had human excreta and urine  all over the floor; maggots were all over the place and it was inhuman for me to be placed in there.”

Ep wants to take legal advice and wants to take legal action against the police.