Police guard water, power facilities after landowners try to shut them down

Police are guarding Port Moresby’s water and electricity facilities after landowners attempted to shut them down over their mobilisation payment, Central police commander Senior Inspector Laimo Asi said.
The landowners were on a sit-in protest this week at Rouna, he said. “I told them to go through the proper process to express their grievances and not to disrupt the facilities,” Asi said.
Rouna Incorporated Landowner Group chairman Babea Toina said they wanted to shut down the city’s water and electricity supply to demand an investigation into the alleged missing K9.85 million of their mobilisation funds.
“We will camp outside the electricity and water plant facilities,” he said.
“We also want the national government to reimburse the alleged missing of K9.85 million that is believed to be paid to the wrong landowners facilitated by con consultants as we never received that money,” Toina claimed.
Commerce and Industry Minister Wera Mori had earlier confirmed that K9.85 million was paid to the rightful landowners of Port Moresby water and electricity supply facilities.
“ I, as the chairman of the ministerial committee responsible for Koiari issues, confirm that money has been released to the rightful clans of the Rouna Lower Koiari landowners as ordered by the National Court,” Mori had said.
“We were only implementing a court order.”