Namah claims illegal force in place

By JEFFREY ELAPA
AN illegal combined police and military force funded by politicians has been established out of the legitimate police and Defence Force, Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah told parliament yesterday.
He said according to intelligence reports, an illegal training camp had been established in Kupiano, Central pro­vince.
He said the illegal force was using hired vehicles issued by the East Sepik provincial government and Nuku MP Andrew Kumbakor, the leader of the Pangu Pati.
East Sepik Governor Peter Wararu told parliament in response that his government was only involved in the Supreme Court reference and did not fund any vehicles.
Kumbakor, who was not in parliament when Namah made the allegations, denied any involvement when contacted by The National.
Namah said several members of the Defence Force, who were part of the team, had been arrested and locked up at the military cells while others in the police force would be locked up shortly.
He said that after the investigations, the political leaders involved would also be arrested for promoting an illegal force.
He was responding to a series of questions by Middle Ramu MP Ben Sembri in relation to the attack on NCD police personnel allegedly by mobile squad members from the highlands.
 in the city on Monday.
Semri also asked the government why the highlands-based police had been brought into the city and how much it cost.
He said the presence of the highlands personnel had created divisions and instability in the police force.
Namah said their deployment was for national security.
He said there were still rogue elements of the disciplinary forces acting outside normal police force duties while illegal armed tribesmen were guarding the chief justice’s (Sir Salamo Injia) house.
He said that police were aware of their car plate numbers and would deal with them.
Wararu also called on the government to leave his province and not to politicise it.
Kumbakor said he did not have the money to hire vehicles for an “illegal force”.
“Namah is telling lies. He is the one hiring many unmarked police vehicles and creating divisions and corrupting the police and military because he has money and political power.”
He said Namah and his government should go to the polls to put to rest the political impasse they had created rather than shifting blame on other leaders.