Governor ‘crossed illegally’

PAPUA governor Lucas Enembe crossed the Indonesia–PNG border illegally through a bush track reportedly to seek medical treatment in West Sepik, PNG Consul-General Geoffrey Wiri says.
“Enembe with two of his officers snuck into West Sepik last Wednesday without observing Indonesian and PNG Covid-19 and Immigration protocols,” Wiri said.
He said Enembe had applied for single entry visa for him and his 16-member delegation to come to PNG to discuss his assistance of 80 tonnes of rice to Manam Islanders in Madang and Bialla people in West New Britain.
Wiri said while waiting for PNG authorities to process his visa application, Enembe decided to sneak into Vanimo two days later to seek medical attention.
He said yesterday that the PNG Consulate in Jayapura was closed for Easter and did not process Enembe’s application.
“He stayed at the Golden Medallion hotel for two nights and because he didn’t have proper travel documents, he contacted the Vanimo-based Indonesian Consulate to return to Jayapura,” Wiri said.
“On Friday (April 2), West Sepik administrator Conrad Tilau sought special circumstances approval from Covid-19 Controller David Manning to allow Enembe to return to Jayapura.”
Wiri clarified that Enembe had not been deported by the PNG Government as reported by CNN.