Central highway task force suspended

 THE Central highway patrol taskforce has been suspended pending investigations, NCD Met Supt Benjamin Turi says.

The disbandment of the taskforce was effected after the suspension of Mariah Jones, one of Central province’s senior detectives.

Turi said various allegations levelled against the taskforce, responsible for motor accidents and patrols, had led to its suspension as investigations continue.

“We have disbanded the Central province taskforce. We’ve told them to remove all their blue uniforms. We are also doing the PPCs job,” he told The National.

“We’re doing his job by acting on the people he failed to get rid of.

“They (taskforce) stay on the highway 24 hours checking roadblocks and motorists and the people of Central normally get assaulted for nothing,” he said.

The taskforce was responsible for manning the Magi and Hiritano highways in Central.

Some of the allegations included illegal road blocks and using excessive force on motorists and the public, among others.

Jones, the wife of an ex-sergeant Philip Pokop, who was also arrested last week and charged with attempted murder and perverting the course of justice, was suspended for failing to surrender a firearm involved in the Hanuabada shooting early last year.

It is also understood the suspension was also related to the delay in the investigations into the Hanuabada and Tatana killings last year.