Police clash over detention

 By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
THE detaining of three Immigration Department officers attempting to deport a Malaysian businessman has caused a confrontation between two senior police officers.
This has angered Chief Immigration Officer Mataio Rabura.
Rabura expressed concern over the behaviour of a senior police officer and his faction of policemen for allegedly assaulting the immigration officers and detaining them at the Gerehu police station last Thursday.
He has promised to take the matter up with the police hierarchy.
Although Rabura is yet to get an official report, the immigration officers claimed that the NCD senior police officer and his men surrounded the lodge they were in with Malaysian businessman Peter Ling.
“The senior officer came with his officers at 4pm and ordered us out of the lodge,” one of the immigration officers told The National.
“They then escorted us to the Gerehu police station and assaulted us, resulting in bruises to our bodies.
“They also robbed us of about K100 and mobile phones and unlawfully detained us in the cell without charging us while Ling was left in the station’s interviewing room.
“The senior officer also took away the key to our vehicle and the cell keys to prevent the duty officers from releasing us.
“Another senior police officer, who had assisted us to arrest Ling, heard of our detention and came to the station with his faction of police officers.
“These two senior officers had an heated argument and almost exchanged punches.
“After one of the senior police officers left with his faction, the other officer broke the lock with a bolt cutter and released us at 2pm the next day (Friday).
“Ling was also released from the interview room and we took him to another lodge where he was accommodated before he appeared at the Waigani National Court.”
The immigration officer said Ling was charged with three counts of  breaching the PNG Migration Act and they were processing his deportation papers when they were assaulted and detained.