Police gear up for Xmas ops

By PISAI GUMAR
THE Lae-based police mobile squad will ensure peace and normalcy is maintained throughout the festive season and fighting zone period that ends in January.
Three police mobile squad deployed from Wabag and Port Moresby had retuned to their respective provinces.
Lae police metropolitan commander Supt Nema Mondiai said the Port Moresby-based mobile squad 01 ‘Papuan Black’ and 02 ‘White Shark’ were recalled to be involved in operations during the Supreme Court special reference ruling today.
The Wabag mobile squad 08 ‘Yu yet tok na mi kam’ was recalled to monitor the recent Por­gera mine landowner issues, Mondiai said.
The mobile squad 13 was deployed to Kiunga, the mining township of Ok Tedi, to boost security there when the Lae unrest occurred last month and when police from Port Moresby and Wabag were deployed to calm tension.
However, with the return of the MS 13 with the Wabag and Port Moresby mobile squads, Lae has been back to normal for the past six weeks.
 “The local force will continue to enforce law and order, especially at the main bus stops and markets, including the main market and the central business centre at Top Town and the industrial areas and the surrounding vicinity,” Mondiai said.
Last Wednesday, Morobe Governor Luther Wenge and Nawaeb MP Timothy Bonga debated bitterly on the floor of parliament questioning Police Minister John Boito about the fighting zone operations funding including government receiving petitions from middlemen committees which the two leaders (Wenge and Bonga) did not disclose.
The Morobe provincial government has in place its PEC peace and good order committee headed by former premier Joshua Hagai.
Upon instructions from the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Boito and the National Planning and Monitoring Minister and Bulolo MP Sam Basil flew to Lae last Monday to receive a petition from the Morobe independent peace and good order committee.