Killer cop jailed for 50 years

A POLICE officer has been jailed for 50 years for his part in the killing of three men while on duty.
Mathias Tangi had been based in Bogia, Madang province.
The court was told that the killings took place at 10pm on Feb 15 last year when seven youths were stopped at a roadblock by the officer and other reservists.
The youths from Mumeng, Morobe province, had been on their way to Base camp with a substantial quantity of marijuana in a hired 10-seater vehicle.
The marijuana was discovered at the roadblock and the youths were told to get off the vehicle so that a search could be conducted.
Yangi ordered the youths to lie on the road face down then shot four of the victims.
The court was told that he later took the four wounded men and the other three to Bogia station, a 90-minute drive away.
He again told them to lie on the grass and proceeded to shoot the other three.
Yangi then took them to Bogia Hospital but because of a shortage of medical supplies and the absence of an ambulance, two of the men he wounded Titus Osi and Abobo Sarus  died.
The third, Andrew Conzy Menzi, died four days later.
Judge David Cannings said the circumstances of the third count of murder were more serious than the other two as “by that stage, at the police station, four of the seven suspects were all lying on the ground at the front of the police station”.
“None of them attempted to escape and they were well and truly under police control.
“The offender had
realised by then that the pistol seen earlier in the car during the roadblock was only a toy,” Cannings said.
“His shooting of Andrew Menzi in these circumstances was brutal, vindictive and senseless.”
Yangi will serve 48 years, 10months and a week in jail after 13 months plus three weeks of his pre-sentence period were deducted.