Police must avoid using excessive force while carrying out duties: Marape

National

PRIME Minister James Marape says there is no need for police to use excessive force while carrying out their duties.
He told Parliament yesterday that the attack and killing of a policeman in East Sepik would be investigated.
Marape was responding to questions raised by Ambunti-Dreikikier MP Johnson Wapunai on the deployment of a police mobile squad to a logging camp in West Sepik.
Wapunai said the incident which happened on the border of his district and West Sepik was sad.
He said a policeman was killed and another was injured.
Wapunai was also concerned about police officers harassing people and disturbing the peace in rural areas, especially while projects such as logging were in operation.
He told parliament that the locals were waiting for policemen to tell their side of the story.
“Police have been harassing people, burning houses and destroying properties in rural communities. Why are policemen around East and West Sepik border? Who issued the command? Are there any command and control in the deployment (of policemen)?” he said.
Marape advised Wapunai to put his questions in writing so that he could direct Police Commissioner David Manning to investigate the incident.