Magistrate shot dead

 By PETER WARI
A VILLAGE court magistrate from Jaluba in Tari, Hela, was shot near Tari town and died on the way to hospital on Friday.
Police identified the deceased as Kane Pangale, 45, from Kikita 2 village in the Tari urban local level government.
Hela police commander Supt Michael Welly told The National that the suspect was armed with a gun and shot Pangale on the chest.
Welly said the motive for the killing was payback.
The deceased’s brother had murdered the suspect’s brother about eight years ago.
“Revenge killing is now becoming an issue in Hela. People should forgive and forget and move on with their lives,” Welly said.
“I can’t understand why people continue to retaliate and murder innocent people for incidents that had happened many years ago and compensation has been made to maintain peace.”
He said compensation was made as a sign of peace and to forgive and forget what had happened but people still retaliated.
He said the suspect was known to police and they would arrest him soon.
Welly appealed to the suspect’s relatives to provide statements to help police make the arrest.
“We must let the law take its course and not take up arms and start another fight.
“It’s a sad story that a village court magistrate who struggles to maintain peace was murdered by senseless people who had no respect for human lives,” he said.
Welly also supported the Hela resident judge in appealing to people to stop harbouring those charged with crimes or they would be arrested.
“So far, 76 bench warrants are outstanding,” he said.
“Police need tsupport of the community in apprehending the accused still on the run so that they face the law,” he said.