Changes to give police capacity

INTENDED amendments to the Criminal Code Act will give police greater capacity to address domestic terrorist activities through increased powers to search, investigate, intercept and prosecute people involved in these activities, says police commissioner David Manning.
Manning and Minister for Internal Security, Peter Tsiamalili Jr, were working across law enforcement agencies and the Office of the Attorney General to draft the planned amendments.
“International organised crime networks are behind domestic terrorists who are involved in kidnappings, killings, rapes and other acts to terrorise communities, and as in every other country, Papua New Guinea is stepping up the fight to beat them,” Manning said.
“Working with the Minister for Internal Security, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary is developing draft legislation that is strategically comprehensive and operationally robust that will enable us to take these criminals off the street.
“The new laws will be tough, and criminals will complain that they are too tough, but these changes are all about protecting our law-abiding citizens and their right to freedom.
“While amendments have been made in recent years to the Criminal Code Act 1974, now is the time for us to take the next major step forward to confront this menace of domestic terrorism.”
Manning said the legislative amendments would serve to define and criminalise acts of domestic terrorism, introduce penalty provisions for acts of domestic terrorism, and provide explicit powers for the investigation of and response to acts of domestic terrorism.
“The amendments will provide for reasonable additional powers to respond to incidents of domestic terrorism where there exists reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence of domestic terrorism is being committed or is about to be committed,” he said.