Ex-con mourns ‘big boy’ Kapris

 By CLEMENT KAUPA

AN ex-convict yesterday appealed to criminals to stop their illegal activities because the “long arm of the law” would eventually catch up with them. 

Commenting on the shooting death of William Nanua Kapris and Raphael Walimini, reformed self-confessed former criminal, Nathan Manda said: “Please follow me and stop the criminal practice because the law will come down and find you one by one.” 

He said there existed a “big boys” code with the criminal kind and that Kapris was a big boy whom the criminal world is mourning today.

Manda made the remarks when he attacked the two daily newspapers for publishing pictures of Kapris and Walimini on the front pages yesterday.

He said the pictures were “indecent and disrespectful” of the dead, criminals or not.

Notorious bank robber Kapris and convicted murderer Walimini were shot dead by police outside Port Moresby on Monday after being on the run for the past 10 weeks. 

Their deaths ended a massive manhunt which began after the pair escaped from Bomana jail on May 14.

Manda, who was known during his criminal days as “Mosbi Mero”, is a former Bomana prisoner who claimed he grew up with Kapris at Kapore, West New Britain.

In his experience, Manda said there was a code of honour for criminals and a hierarchy based on a “big boys” system.  

“I know it is meant to frighten others away from crime but I also know how criminals think and I tell you they are crying for the two dead men right now,” Manda said. 

He called on the newspapers to print pictures of persons convicted of white collar crimes who were “just as bad” as criminals such as Kapris and Walimini.