Pastor denies repayment claims

 By PISAI GUMAR

A PASTOR, who claimed to have lost his family members in a road accident, has denied a media report that compensation had been paid.

Seventh-day Adventist Church Pr Toni Agoramba Siriya, from Henganofi, Eastern Highlands, said the report in this paper last Thursday was misleading.

Siriya said he lost his wife, a brother and his son. He lost two grandchildren as well in the accident in February in Markham Valley, Morobe.

Siriya said the report wrongly stated that his group from Henganofi had accepted a compensation of K124,000, 140 pigs and seven cows from the Panimbe-Wika tribe of Kuta, in Western Highlands.

“It is misleading people from both sides, including readers,” Siriya said.

Siriya and a policeman claimed to have travelled from Henganofi to The National in Lae to set the record straight.

“Our demand was K1 million for the lives lost and 100 pigs. But they offered us 126 pigs, a cow and K100,000,” he said.

“We rejected the money and the cow but brought with us the 126 pigs during the mediation held on Oct 11 in Mt Hagen.” 

Siriya said the K1 million compensation payment was scheduled for Nov 11 in Goroka.