Massive manhunt

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
HELA police are searching for 35 suspects who escaped from the Tari Police Station cells on Sunday night, sparking a huge manhunt.
The 35 men managed to open three doors leading to the cells before escaping out of the station and main gate. Thirty-four of them were remandees.
Three days earlier, 17 inmates escaped from the Bomana prison in Port Moresby, 16 remain at large, making it a massive task for police and Correctional Services to round them up.
Hela magistrate Edward Komia, who was told of the escape from the police cells, went to the station and inspected the cells early yesterday morning.
He told The National that he had issued a warning to police to get the suspects into the cell in a month or provincial police station commander Chief Insp Teddy Agwi and his second in command would be “cited for contempt and a citizen’s arrest would be made against them”.
“It is frustrating that the suspects who are kept in the cell have managed to escape and many have not been found,” Magistrate Koima said.
“The escape is the third or fourth time those held in the cell have managed to escape and this has to stop with the police commander and the police station commander needing to step up and work on their strategies.
“It is sad to see a lack of command and control in the Tari Police Station.”
From the 35, one has been convicted, with the other 34 remandees of committal and summary matters.
Police continue their search of the missing 35.
Meanwhile, Correctional Services commissioner Stephen Pokanis said they had widened the search to Central and Gulf for the 16 escapees from Bomama.
“All escapees are dangerous and if sighted must be reported to the nearest police station,” he said.