Military dispels coup rumours

SECURITY operations in Port Moresby will be normal today despite rumours of a military coup.
Mobile phone text messages yesterday claimed a group of politicians and military officers were planning a coup in parliament.
PNG Defence Force commander Brig-Gen Francis Agwi yesterday dispelled the rumours as false.
Agwi said he would personally be in parliament with his secretary to see the formation of the new government.
The text message read: “Frightening news that (politician) and (army officer) have planned a military coup to arrest (politician) and members of (his) team and declare martial law (if parliament is recalled today).”
But Agwi, in the presence of senior army officer Col Walter Enuma, said this was not true.
He said that such rumours should be stopped from eroding the country’s democracy.
“The text message has tarnished the good name of the Defence Force. We have just received our contingents that were deployed in the highlands for the elections and they are looking good.
“The person sending this false text message will be investigated,” Agwi said.
Police in NCD would conduct normal operations in the nation’s capital.
Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga said he had no knowledge of the text message and would not comment.