Cop gets four years for taking K350

By BEVERLY PETER
NATIONAL Court last week delivered a very severe penalty to a policeman who extracted K350 from another person for an alleged traffic offence.
Judge Teresa Berrigan sentenced Elias Nason, 52, of Okapa’s Tarabo village in Eastern Highlands to four years and fined him K700.
Nason, who has served in the force 30 years, committed the offence of obtaining K350 for an alleged traffic offence and releasing the offender three years ago.
“The offence is prevalent and reports of police officers extracting bribes at roadblocks or whilst on patrol are notorious. For obvious reasons such offences are also difficult to detect and prosecute,” Berrigan said.
She said there were number of factors contributing to the seriousness of the offence.
“The offence was committed by a member of the police force with many years of experience, a senior officer in charge, whilst under the influence of alcohol and in circumstances amounting to force,” she added.
Berrigan said this after learning that the Nason was employed with the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary for 30 years stright after leaving Grade 10.
He has served all across the country.
Nason was convicted after a trial for receiving K350 from the complainant Dr Scotty Kandelyo in Port Moresby on Oct 3, 2021.
It was before the court that Nason who was on duty at that time held Kandelyo, who was driving with his wife and uncle at about 7pm at the time, and took them to police station for a broken back light of their car.
After several conversations at Boroko Police Station, Nason agreed and received K350 cash and released Kandelyo, his wife and uncle.
Berrigan said such actions of receiving money in this case was not only criminal conduct but it is also a complete abuse of scarce public resource such as time, money and personnel.
“The offender (Nason) should have used those resources and the power and authority entrusted to him as a police officer to serve and protect the community rather than line his pockets.
“It is disgraceful behaviour which undermines the public’s confidence in and respect for the Constabulary,” she said.
She noted that Nason was of old age, a first time offender and regretted his actions.
“The offender (Nason) has lost much as a result of the offence after a lifetime of dedicated service and he will not easily forget the serious nature of his conduct,”
Berrigan said therefore, she suspended three years, 11 months of the sentence on condition that Nason do 40 hours’ community service with Motu Koita Assembly under the supervision of Probation Services within the first six months of his sentence.