Innocent men killed in payback

THE relatives of two men killed at Doa along the Hiritano Highway, Kairuku-Hiri district, Central, on Nov 26 say the killing was senseless, with both innocent victims.
The men were identified as Maive Aneva, 44, from Kimi village, Okapa, Eastern Highlands, and Ake Kiro, 51, from Ofafina village, also in Okapa.
Aneva was a contractor who employed Kiro as a carpenter for renovation work on a Mormon church in Gulf.
The two were among three killed after a Goilala man was killed by unknown persons also at Doa, after he and several others allegedly set up an illegal roadblock along the highway.
Ps Steven Wangena, who spoke on behalf of the families, said the two men were contractors working on renovating a Mormon church in Gulf and were on their way to Port Moresby to get building materials when they were attacked.
“According to information the family gathered, on Wednesday evening, Nov 25, near the Doa police station, several men were patching potholes and getting money from the vehicles travelling,” he said.
“A bus arrived at that section, it was there that the men, who are all said to be from Goilala, stopped the vehicle and proceeded to check it, a scuffle broke out in which a man from Goilala was killed.
“However because it involved men allegedly from the Highlands, the target was all Highlanders travelling on the highway.
“On Thursday morning, the two men unaware of what had transpired were travelling to Port Moresby when they were attacked after driving past the Doa police station.
“Both men were killed and their bodies left on the road where they fell.”
The haus krai is held behind the Golf course in Waigani.
Police are still continuing their investigations into the killing along the highway, with no arrests made yet as.