Police condemn actions of officers on Daru Island

SOUTH Fly police commander Chief Inspector Brian Kombe was condemned the actions of soldiers, prison and police officers on Daru Island last week who demanded compensation and removed stores goods from foreign-owned shops.
The disciplined forces officers went to all the shops in the area to demand K20,000 as compensation after a child in Daru, a relative of a soldier, was treated at Daru General Hospital for food poisoning last Wednesday.
Kombe said they (relatives of the child) lodged a complaint at the police station on the matter and on an alleged advice from the health inspector, the combined forces went to one of the shops against which the complaint was made to search and remove expired items, especially food.
“What transpired the next day (Thursday) was totally uncalled for and illegal for soldiers and CIS officers to act beyond what has been authorised,” Kombe said.
“I condemn their actions and my two policemen for going back the next day to demand K20,000 compensation and having forcefully removed some items deemed expired from all the Asian shops,” he said.
“This is uncalled for as it is not their (wardens’) mandated duty, they are not police officers to do that.
“This was clearly in defiance of the order given by Daru police station commander in accordance with the advice from the health inspector, which was an order issued to inspect.”