Manning: Abuse claims false

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
POLICE Commissioner David Manning has denied an allegation by Esa’ala MP Davis Steven that a Isumayamauiau ward member in Milne Bay was abused by police.
“Steven’s allegation of police abuse is not true,” he said.
“Police did not forcefully picke up a local leader.
“The Isumayamauiau ward member was never abused or arrested as reported.”
Steven claimed in a statement that the Esa’ala youth authority president and member of the district development authority was picked up in East Cape last week and forcefully loaded onto a boat by policemen.
He said the provincial police commander had remained “evasive”.
“I could not talk to the policemen involved or the ward member for Pwanapwana, who was apparently leading the team of policemen,” Steven said.
“An hour later, the ward member for Isumayamauiau was ordered by the same police team to get on the boat to be taken for interrogation.
“The commander of the task force in Alotau has no knowledge of the operation.
“He has confirmed that his men are in town.
“The provincial police commander denied any knowledge about the operation when contacted earlier.
“Hours later, I called him and he said it was his men from Alotau responding to a complaint lodged by me. What rubbish!”
Police in Alotau said a ward member from the Pwanapwana Duau local level government had requested Alotau police for police presence during a public meeting in his ward.
Police said they travelled into Duau on June 12, where they met the youth coordinator at East Cape who was asked to accompany the police, which “he accepted and willingly went with them”.