Police kill wanted man

 By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK 
A WANTED criminal on the run for 10 years was shot and killed by police in Yangoru, East Sepik, last Thursday, provincial police commander Chief Inspector Peter Philip said yesterday.
Philip said Mark Wena, 35, from Boinatum village, Yangoru, was a hard core criminal wanted for the serial killings of three councillors, a student and an auxiliary police officer.
“He was killed when attempting to rape a school girl at Kurakumun village also in West Yangoru at about 9am. He is also wanted for raping another school girl last year.”
Philip said that the killing of Wena resulted from good intelligence from locals and police were able to monitor his movement since 2005 as he was armed and very evasive.
“He was wanted for killing West Yangoru LLG president Jack Morris from Kairuru village, auxiliary police officer George Aimo from Sima village, Tuninki village councilor Justin Gamuada, Koibobus village councilor Ronald Kulukumun and student Beldan Malunduo.”
Philip said that villagers called him at about 5am when Wena was attempting to rape a girl at her home.
“So I called police in Yangoru and they immediately went to the village and shot him to death when he was attempting to escape.”
Philip said Wena’s body was now at the Wewak hospital morgue awaiting a coroner’s report.
Meanwhile a 39-year-old suspect also from Yangoru, who was on the run for one year after allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl, appeared before the Wewak District court last week.
The suspect had raped the girl near Kaindi in Wewak on July 4 last year. He was caught last week in Wewak and charged. He is out on bail awaiting trial.
In Western, two police officers appeared before the Kiunga District Court for assaulting their wives.
North Fly police commander Supt Joseph Puri said that they were out on bail and would appear in court again next week.