Ferry disaster investigations begin

THIRTY police crime investigators will be deployed nationwide to investigate the mv Rabaul Queen disaster from this week.
A statement from the police media unit yesterday said names, telephone numbers and email contact details of the investigators would be made available through the media so that the survivors, relatives of the victims or anyone who had any information regarding the sinking the vessel could contact them.
Investigations will cover Morobe, West New Britain, East New Britain and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.                                                                          
Investigation teams are to be based in Lae for the Mamose and Highlands regions, Rabaul for New Guinea Islands and Port Moresby for the Southern region.                                 
A preliminary investigating team comprising detectives and senior officers will be deployed to the various centres to start investigations.
Detective Chief Insp Ben Turi will be Lae on Feb 7, Sgt Evea Kepai in Bougainville on Feb 8, Snr Sgt Robert Wane in Rabaul on Feb 9 and Snr Const Derrick Francis will be in Kimbe on Feb 15.
The four officers will be assisted by the local criminal investigation division personnel in the respective provinces.
Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga said the exercise would require the support of relatives and survivors.
“All information is necessary and crucial to enable our investigators to finalise the outcome of the investigations,” he said.
“I am appealing to everyone to meet our investigators in the respective provinces to provide their statements.”