Election killings seen as a norm

By CHARLES MOI
THE killing of a person on account of winning in an election has become a norm in the country, says Judge Panuel Mogish.
“It is the worst type of killing that in itself should attract a strong and punitive sentence because of its prevalence in communities throughout Papua New Guinea,” he said in the National Court in Ialibu on Friday after jailing two men for killing another man who won a local level government election (LLG) in Southern Highlands.
James Epe Raku, 33 was jailed for 30 years and Jacob Raku, 33, was jailed for 35 years.
Both men are from Paware village in Ialibu-Pangia.’
Judge Mogish said the lack of respect shown by the offenders had become a norm in the general election.
“The 2017 and 2021 general elections experienced a period of anarchy when supporters of losing candidates took the law into their own hands and caused havoc and destruction to property and took lives,” he said.
Judge said the violence and breakdown of law and order had been widely reported in the media and was a shameful aspect of elections in PNG.
“This kind of savagery and violence against property and lives must stop. And the only way to do that is to impose heavy punishments to show the courts condemnation for this kind of behaviour.”
Time in custody was deducted from the jail terms which will see James serve 26 years, seven months, three weeks and five days in jail and Jacob will serve 31 years, seven months, three weeks and five days in jail. They will serve their terms at Buiebi Jail in Imbonggu, Southern Highlands.
The National Court on April 11 convicted both men for the murder of councillor Mathias Tiano, also from Paware.