Lives under threat over Facebook claims

THE lives of a candidate for the Wabage open seat and a policeman and his family are under threat after widespread allegations about the transportation of counterfeit ballot papers and boxes into Enga, police say.
Provincial police commander George Kakas said some faceless people posted on Facebook and PNG Blog that a policeman had helped transport ballot boxes and ballot papers belonging to a Wabag candidate from Kagamuga airport in Mt Hagen into Wabag recently.
Kakas said that these faceless users had posted the false information on social media causing much anxiety by putting the lives of candidates and their supporters, election officials and members of the security force at risk.
He said family members of the policeman living at Lai Barracks in Wabag were threatened by
some candidates and their supporters.
In another incident, Kakas said several villagers set up roadblocks along Laiagam road in the Laiagam-Porgera district to check vehicles going in and out of the district follow rumours of counterfeit
ballot boxes and papers moving around.
He said that he had sent Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers and police personnel into the district who removed the roadblocks and told locals to refrain from such acts and report to
the security any suspicious activity.
“If you have the facts and evidence please I urge you to come to the police station and report the matter.
“We have set up an investigative task force unit to deal with all election-related crimes and such allegations should be reported and dealt with by the law instead of people taking it upon themselves by over-reacting to Facebook and social media blogs,” he said.
Kakas assured the Enga public that as head of security in the province, he would ensure that
there was transparency in the election.