Officer killed, another hurt

By JAMES APA GUMUNO
A GENERAL election presiding officer is dead and another seriously hurt after they were attacked in Kandep district, Enga province, on Saturday.
Dead is John Kepa, 57, from Longap village. Daniel Arup, 50, from Malai village,
is in serious condition at Wabag hospital from
the bush-knife attack.
The two men are from the Wage local level government area in Kandep district.
Provincial police commander Supt Martin Lakari said yesterday supporters of a party parliamentary leader attacked the two presiding officers, who were supporters of another candidate outside the gate of the counting centre at Wabag Primary School around 7am.
They had been waiting with other presiding officers to go into the counting centre.
Lakari said the two men were rushed to Wabag hospital but one died on arrival.
Lakari said this was believed to be a payback killing for another election-related killing two weeks ago when a candidate’s supporters allegedly shot a man and his wife at Wasa Bridge, in Kandep, and threw their bodies into the Lai River.
They then stabbed a young man to death in Wabag town last Monday. He said police intervened quickly and arrested the two prime suspects.
He said the suspects had been detained for questioning and their vehicle was impounded at the police station.
Lakari appealed to candidates from Kandep to control their supporters.
He said they had destroyed the image of Wabag town and Enga province with their senseless killings.