Police arrest five in Markham

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FIVE men have been arrested in relation to the destruction of General Election (GE22) ballot boxes and papers as well as other properties at Mutzing in Markham, Morobe on July 16, police say.
Morobe police commander Superintendent Jacob Singura said on July 21, police with the assistance of PNG Defence Force personnel at Mutzing conducted an investigation and identified the five which they arrested them (suspects).
“The suspects were then detained at Mutzing police cell and appropriate charges were laid on them,” said Singura.
According to PPC Singura, the main suspect that police believed to have instigated the situation that led to the destruction of properties at Mutzing station and the disruption of counting process at Markham Valley Secondary School was one of those that were arrested.
“The main suspect was charged with three counts of malicious damage, arson, spreading false information and threatening words”.
Singura said the other four suspects were charged with the same charges as well as unlawful assault and riot.
He also said the joint forces also arrested a person who was drunk in public and acted disorderly and when police searched him, they found in his possession 51 packs of marijuana and charged him with being in possession of dangerous drugs.
The six arrested have been transported to Lae and will appear in court today.
“More arrests are expected in the coming week as investigation is still continuing”
Meanwhile police have received reports that there will be a much bigger unrest if the incumbent MP Koni Iguan is to be declared as Markham MP by the Electoral Commission.


Trio drop application to stop count

By BEVERLY PETER
THE application by three Wapenamanda open candidates including the sitting MP Rimbink Pato to stop the counting of six ballot boxes was discontinued on Friday.
Judge Joseph Yagi presiding at Waigani National Court granted the leave following a discontinuation application by the applicants (Pato, Justin Bero Sarimbu and Danny Terep Katie) through their lawyer Nathan Pilamb.
Pilamb said they sought leave to discontinue the matter because other urgent election-related applications had been dismissed over the last few weeks.
Solicitor General Tauvasa Tanuvasa, appearing on behalf of the Electoral Commission and commissioner Simon Sinai, did not object to the discontinuation application but asked the Court to order the applicants to pay the cost of his appearance.
Yagi when granting leave to discontinue the matter ordered the applicants to pay the cost of Tanuvasa’s appearances in the matter.
The defendants were returning officer Kevin Yati, Enga election manager Anton Iamau and Sinai.


Do not disrupt counting, says candidate

By JIMMY KALEBE
A CONTESTANT for the Bulolo open seat in Morobe is urging all candidates contesting seats in Morobe to refrain from engaging in activities that will disrupt counting of ballots.
Sam Basil Jr, who is contesting Bulolo open, said disrupting counting would undermine the electoral process and candidates needed to be sensible and encourage their supporters not to do that.
“We as candidates, should not be present at the counting venues. We have to stay away from counting venues and let the election officials, scrutineers and the security personnel do their job,” Basil Jr said.
He said for candidates to be at the counting venues when the counting was going on was unlawful and all candidates needed to be aware of this.
He said with the counting in some districts of Morobe being disrupted as a result of misunderstandings between scrutineers, supporters and their candidates, aspiring leaders needed to behave accordingly.
He said time was running out for the completion of the electoral process as the deadline for the return of writes was on Friday.


Sinai orders counting of 12 disputed boxes
Security personnel guarding Mendi police station where the ballot boxes are stored for counting. Many sections of the roads leading into Mendi town are closed as the security personnel monitor the movement of people.

By PETER WARI
ELECTORAL Commissioner Simon Sinai has directed 12 ballot boxes for the Imbonggu Open electorate in Southern Highlands be admitted for counting after an objection by a candidate.
Former MP and Works Minister Francis Awesa last Monday objected to the 12 ballot boxes for Piambil one and two (A-E) respectively and Tona A and B in the Imbonggu local level government (LLG).
Sinai in a letter addressed to Imbonggu returning officer Kelma Pora said he had treated the matter as an objection under Section 153A of the Organic Law and his decision was that all ballot boxes be admitted into scrutiny or counting.
Sinai said the objection was not addressed to RO Pora nor it was addressed to his office pursuant to the Organic Law and was therefore defective and refused. He said the ballot boxes would therefore be admitted for counting.
He said matters raised in the objection were unverified, lacked credibility, and did not show polling for the wards in question were hijacked as alleged.
Sinai added that there was no clear evidence the voters were denied their rights to vote and all boxes were safely brought to the counting centre.


Peace restored in Porgera, police create separate taskforce for Enga

By GLORIA BAUAI
POLICE Commissioner David Manning says a separate taskforce has been created to respond to the tribal fighting and killings in Porgera, Enga.
He said this after normalcy was restored to the district as well as other parts of the province after a week of violence where some 30 people, both men and women, were killed in Porgera during a tribal fight allegedly over land in the gold rich district.
Manning said a senior police officer had already been appointed to act as the field commander while the command structures were being put in place.
“We have informed Correctional Service Commissioner Stephen Pokanis and the PNG Defence Force Commander Major General Mark Goina that we need to send up a separate taskforce – not using the current force on the ground,” he said.
“The separate taskforce will comprise of 120 or one company from the PNGDF, four squads from the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary as well as the assistance of one or two platoons from CS.
“Our request for additional support from PNGDF has already been actioned with 20 soldiers from Moem Barracks currently on the ground in Enga.
“The advance deployment of one squad and the field commander has joined them today (Saturday); as we progress over the week, we’ll have more platoons and the mobile squads up. So the special taskforce is already in place.
Manning said Porgera mine would be protected, but the idea was to deal with the problem rather than going direct to the mine.