Driver charged with killing

A DRIVER has been arrested and charged with killing a man while transporting the body of a ward councillor killed in a fight at Gohiro village in Rai Coast last Friday.
Madang police commander acting Supt Mazuc Rubian told The National that the driver was in custody at Ramu police station.
He said the driver, who was transporting the body of Daniel Sosoria, allegedly hit and killed Ruben Kifua of Kabwum, Morobe, who was a supervisor with the Ramu Agri Industries Ltd.
Rubian said the killing of the Nohorawa LLG councillor and kidnapping of Madang deputy governor Samuel Nessau happened during a reconciliation ceremony at Gohiro village last Friday.
He said Sosoria was killed with a spear.
Rubian said government officials from Ramu were invited to attend the reconciliation ceremony and the deputy governor and some government officials were there.
“While in the process of peace talk between the two villages – Goriha and Noningo – who were separated since 2018, the youths started an argument and allegedly murdered the councillor (Sosoria),” he said.
“When the villagers saw that, they ran away and the deputy governor was kidnapped and taken up to the mountains.”
Rubian said four police officers from Ramu were there but were outnumbered when the killing and the kidnapping took place.
He said he was informed and sent police officers from Madang and they rescued Nessau.