Former policeman in court over death in custody

A FORMER policeman who allegedly caused the death of a man in custody appeared in the Waigani Committal Court yesterday.
Magistrate Tracy Ganaii arraigned Raymond Kuiol, 34, of Kanamanda village, Wapenamanda, Enga, for killing Alphie Andale Tamatali at the Boroko Police Station on Oct 4, 2019.
The case was adjourned to March 16 while Kuiol was remanded.
Police alleged that on that date, at around 3am, Kuiol was at the Boroko Police Station front car park in Port Moresby.
Later that night, between 6pm and 7pm, Tamatali and his friends went to the Gerehu 2-4 market after getting drunk and while there, they were allegedly spotted by Kuiol who was on patrol with other policemen.
They arrested Tamatali and his friends and took them to the Gerehu Police Station holding cell for processing before transporting them to Boroko Police Station.
It was alleged that they were kept at the back cage of the police vehicle.
It was alleged that the cage of the police vehicle was without a dead lock attached to making it unsafe for the suspects to be locked inside.
Police alleged that while on their way to Boroko, Tamatali fell out off the vehicle but was re-arrested and taken to the Boroko Police Station.
At the station, Kuiol and some other policemen allegedly assaulted Tamatali and his friends.
Kuiol was alleged to have hit Tamatali several times on his head with his K2C rifle.
Tamatali was allegedly locked up without medical treatment.
When the police guards saw Tamatali’s bruises, the policemen accompanying him allegedly said “let them die, it’s their fault for jumping off the police vehicle”.
On Oct 5, 2019, one of Tamatali’s friend who was locked up with him realised he was not moving and tried to wake him.
He then alerted the police cell guard who called an ambulance to come to the station to take Tamatali.
Tamatali was then taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead.