Lakari: Alcohol contributing to lawlessness

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
ALCOHOL is the main contributing factor to law and order problems in Enga, police chief Supt Martin Lakari says.
Lakari said 99% of the troubles reported to the police in the province were alcohol-related.
He said the majority of liquor outlet operators, especially guest house and club owners, abused their liquor licences by trading beyond normal trading hours.
He said the clubs and guest house owners sold alcohol for 24 hours a day and people often drank there until daybreak.
He urged the provincial liquor board to inspect the liquor outlets and cancel licences of operators breaching laws.
Lakari said this after the short-lived marriage of a newly-wed couple who celebrated at the Pele Paspas club (Pele Paspas) near Wabag Primary School, only for the husband to kill his bride and
throw her body into the Kop River at 3am last Friday.
He said that if the
club had not operated 24 hours, such a death would not have occurred.
Lakari appealed to the people selling alcohol to stop serving customers after 10pm as stated in their licences.
He said they must close their bars and give enough time for their customers to go home.
Lakari said there were many liquor outlets in the province and they contributed to law and order problems.