Police beat us, claim vendors

By JUNIOR UKAHA
TWO betelnut sellers alleged that they were beaten up by police last Saturday.
They claimed that their betelnut bags and cigarette packets were also confiscated by police.
The incident happened at the Erima betelnut market around 6am. Thomas Tuali, 54, from Koroba, Hela, and Wesley Wambi, from Lumusa, Western Highlands alleged that police beat them up without any reason.They claimed two police officers in civilian clothes were earlier beaten by some men in the area.They said the pair called their colleagues who turned up in four vehicles and destroyed the buai market.“Ol sutim gun lo mipela na kikim buai na simok teibol blo mipela (they fired shots at us and kicked our buai and smoke table),” Tuali said, showing empty bullet shells in his hand.“Ol sutim wanpela yangpela mangi lo lek bilong em (They shot a young man on his leg),” he said.Wambi, who sustained a deep cut on his forehead, claimed he lost K2,175 in cash, three bags of buai, eight cigarette packets and a new radio he bought to listen to the election counting results.   Tuali, who suffered a dislocated knee claimed he lost 28 buai bags and K157 in cash.
They said they had reported the matter to 6-Mile police the same day but no action had been taken.
Attempts to get comments from police yesterday were unsuccessful.