Cop caught over lawyer’s detention

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A POLICEMAN was charged in the Waigani Committal Court yesterday with illegally detaining a lawyer in Waigani on April 18. Magistrate Danny Wakikura read out the charge against Israel Bill, who is attached with the police fox unit in Port Moresby, and adjourned the case to July 8. Bill, who is from Wabag’s Teremanda village in Enga, was alleged to have, on April 18, between 9pm and 10pm, raided lawyer Laken Lepatu Aigilo’s residence with other fox unit members at Section 43, Allotment 23, Barega Street, North Waigani, in Port Moresby. Bill and his colleagues allegedly travelled in a police marked vehicle, “Fox Unit 201”, a blue Toyota 15-seater. They allegedly knocked down the gate, came out of the vehicle fully armed, broke down the door of the house and rushed into a room where Aigilo was watching television. It is alleged that they pointed their guns at Aigilo, physically assaulted him, removed his Lenovo laptop, which was valued at K3,000, and hauled him into the back of the police vehicle against his will before driving out to the Baruni back road.
However, relatives of Aigilo reported the ordeal to the duty policeman at the Waigani Police Station who then radioed Bill and his colleagues to report immediately to the station with Aigilo. Bill and his colleagues then drove to Boroko Police Station and locked Aigilo in lockup without arresting and charging him with any offence. Aigilo was released from the lockup the next day after the incident was made public. He then lodged a formal complaint against Bill and his colleagues for their unlawful conduct. Bill was arrested and charged after an investigation was carried out following Aigilo’s complaint. Magistrate Wakikura granted Bill a K500 bail with conditions that he refrained from interferring with State witnesses and not to leave the National Capital District without leave of the court.