Kauba denies stoning in Jiwaka

By JUNIOR UKAHA
ACTING Deputy Police Commissioner (operations) Simon Kauba has denied that police officers assaulted Jiwaka Transitional Authority director Nicholas Kuman and damaged the province’s administrative building.
Kauba said the claim by “sources” as reported in the media was “news” to him.
“No such thing happened. There were no stoning and no confrontation,” Kauba said.
“The report in The National is wrong,” he claimed.
He said he had instructed the Western Highlands provincial police commander to investigate the matter and the reports he got was that there were “only concerns” being raised by auxiliary and reservist policemen after their allowances for Christmas and New Year operations were delayed.
“Basically a dialogue took place because the officers were disappointed that the authority has delayed processing their allowances,” he said.
Authority chairman Benjamin Mul last Thursday condemned police behaviour after receiving reports that officers assaulted Kuman.
It was alleged that officers from Banz, Jimi, Minj and Nondugl admitted to having assaulted Kuman and throwing stones at the administrative building.
Kauba said he did not why the allowances of the reservists had not been paid.
He said a substantial amount of money was due to the officers as a result of a pre-operation commitment by the authority.
Mul said he had committed K300,000 for the operations last November during a meeting but was shocked that the money was never paid to the officers.
Kauba said any illegal conduct by any policemen who had caused harm or destruction would be investigated.