Four charged with Morauta Haus riot

By SALLY TIWARI
POLICE have charged four men allegedly involved in Monday’s rampage at Morauta Haus in Port Moresby by former members of the PNG Defence Force.
Assistant Commissioner of Police for Central Fred Sheekiot said the four men were arrested by a team led by acting NCD metropolitan commander Supt Andy Bawa.
Bawa led Operation Tau Bada Naria to track down the former soldiers who had been protesting against an alleged delay in payments of entitlements.
Sheekiot said of the four men, who were arrested yesterday, three were leaders of the rampage and the fourth was an accomplice.
The men, charged with unlawful assembly and wilful damage, were:
lGeraso Balem, 51, of Fatmilak village, New Ireland, a former lieutenant-colonel who was retrenched in 2006;
lNick Najike, 38, of Eastern Highlands, a former senior private;
lGodfrey Aisi, 45, of Kairuku in Central, formerly of the engineering battalion in Lae; and
lMichael Yakumai, 38, of Madang, who was an accomplice.
The men were in police custody last night and would appear in court today.
Sheekiot said the damage had been estimated at K82,203.47.
The group of protesters smashed the windscreens of 11 vehicles and a plate glass at Morauta Haus.
Sheekiot said K6,996.13 was the cost of the damage to the building’s glass windows and K76,207.34 was the cost of da­mage to the 11 state and staff vehicles.
He said the figure was expected to increase once they received quotations for the damage to three other vehicles.
He said Morauta Haus was now being guarded by armed policemen as part of Operation Tau Bada Naria.
The situation outside Morauta Haus remained tense yesterday, with police guarding the road leading to the building and no vehicles being allowed through.