Minister Wong unaware of Isouve’s suspension

By GYNIE KERO and CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE Minister Jelta Wong says he is yet to be briefed on the suspension of Assistant Police Commissioner Victor Isouve although he suspects it could be an “operational issue”.
Wong expects to be briefed on the suspension today.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki said all he knew was that his deputy Jim Andrews had suspended Isouve.
Isouve said, according to the letter he received, one of the reasons was that he had contacted Wong on a matter without the consent of Baki.
Isouve, who heads the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption unit, Internal Affairs Department, Police Intelligence and National Crime Unit, said the hierarchy was aware of his meeting with Wong.
The other reason for his suspension was because he had set up a taskforce to investigate senior officers allegedly involved in the deportation of a foreigner.
Meanwhile, Isouve said there were outstanding serious criminal cases that detectives from the National Crime Unit were still investigating.
He said now that he had been suspended, he was not sure whether the investigations would be allowed to continue.
“We are still investigating the police officers accused of killing bank robbers William Kapris and Raphael Walimini in 2013, and the killing of two Hanuabada villagers in 2015,” he said.
“Investigation into the killings of police officers in Southern Highlands and Enga are still going on.
“We are still investigating serious arson cases like the burning down of a Chinese shop in Manus killing 10 Chinese in September 2017, and the burning down of 19 houses in Belmo village, Yangoru district, East Sepik, in May 2017.”
Isouve said the investigation into the Hanuabada killing was continuing as the firearm involved had gone missing from the armoury.