Death penalty gets support

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 11th June 2013

 By PETER ESOP WARI

A businessman in the Southern Highlands thinks that the Criminal Code Act (Amendment Bill 2013) amended and passed recently will stop serious crimes from increasing.

Mendi businessman Lucas Martin commended the Government, Attorney-General Kerenga Kua and the Opposition for approving the death penalty and severe penalties for other serious crimes.

He said some church leaders had branded it as “unchristian” but the tough stance would minimise law and order problems.

“Our mothers and sisters were being raped, innocent people murdered at daylight and yet the existing laws were not enough to deter those crimes,” Martin said.

He said while the law and order problem in the country was rising, police officers who should be enforcing the laws were committing the very crimes they were telling others to stay away from.

He said PNG was a developing nation and needed adjustments and changes to progress rather than remain stagnant. 

He said it was a shame to learn that police officers were conducting a roadblock at 1am and demanding K100 each from every bus passing through Daulo Pass as published in The National last week.

“Rogue policemen are beating innocent citizens without pity and destroying their properties,” he said.

Martin said the Government’s decision to revisit the Enhanced Co-operation Programme in which the Australian Federal Police and other law enforcement agencies would be engaged to tackle crime was in the best interest of Papua New Guineans.

“The Criminal Code Act (Amendment Bill 2013) has been passed and now let the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and other law enforcement agencies be engaged and help tackle lawlessness in the country,” he said.