Cop says claims of illegal activities baseless

NORTHERN police commander (PPC) Supt Michael Welly says claims that his policemen at a checkpoint at Maita Rock bordering Morobe were involved in illegal activities were not true and baseless.
Supt Welly made this remark following an article in The National on Thursday that Northern police at Maita Rock had acted illegally and against state of emergency (SOE) orders.
“All those allegations against my policemen on the ground there were structured in such a way that will tarnish their names,” he said.
“They were only following orders to prevent the Covid-19 from entering our province.”
He said the boats that were impounded would be there until the end of SOE period on June 2, when they would be released back to their respective owners.
Supt Welly said he was surprised when some of those boats and engines impounded by his policemen at Maita Rock were released to their owners while the SOE was still on.
He said this was in breach of the SOE Order No.14 which stated that vessels, aircraft and vehicles impounded during this period were not to be released until after the SOE.
Supt Welly said Morobe PPC Supt Alex N’Drasal should have consulted him before sending his men into Northern to retrieve some boats impound while the SOE was still on.
It is understood the three boats and their outboard motors released to their owner and Morobe police last week.