‘Locals holding up company trucks is criminal offence’

By LUKE KAMA
THE managing director of Trans Wonderland Ltd (TWL) Larry Andagali says he finds it astonishing that police and the Defence Force in Hela and Southern Highlands are negotiating with criminals to release trucks with LNG cargo they were forcibly holding.
Andagali said seven trucks owned by his company and carrying cargo were being held up at Poroma, a section of the Highlands Highway between Nipa and Mendi in the Southern Highlands.
Andagali said people who holding the trucks were relatives of a person who was killed in an accident by a vehicle driven by someone from Angore village in Hela.
“This has nothing to do with Trans Wonderland Ltd and the LNG project. These acts of the people holding up the trucks on a national highway amounts to serious criminal offence. It very much unbelievable that police and the Defence in Hela and Southern Highlands are negotiating with the criminals to release the trucks. This is just unbelievable. Where is the police commissioner and the police minister, the Defence commander and the defence minister and the prime minister and the government? Are these criminals above the government and the law? This is a very serious issue where police and Defence personnel are negotiating with criminals to release the trucks carrying LNG cargo,” Andagali said
He said the people had demanded K3 million in compensation over the death of their clansman and the payment was to be made before they released the trucks and cargo.
“Where is the Government now to respond to this issue and put some sense into these people? They have held up the trucks and the cargo with an escort car since Nov 15. It’s two weeks now with police and Defence in Hela not being able to do anything.”
Attempts to get comments from Hela police commander Michael Welly were unsuccessful.