Police silence over ‘bad’ officers concerns judge

A NATIONAL Court judge has raised concerns that the police hierarchy was not doing anything about the criminal behaviour of certain serving members of the force.
Justice Panuel Mogish, who was enraged at the Waigani National Court yesterday, said police officers who commit crimes while in uniform must expect to go to jail.
“Police officers who commit an offence while on duty and in police uniform and appear in my court will go straight to jail,” he said.
“I have been sending officers to jail but it seems that the message is taken very lightly by these officers, men and women.
“Police officers seem to be acting above the law and do things without care and always acting out of control.”
He said this message should go out to police officers whose families would suffer the consequences of their actions if they continue to think they were above the law.
Mogish made these remarks when he heard submissions in the sentencing of two police officers found guilty of armed robbery and the stealing of 52 bags of betel nuts from passengers travelling from Central.
He said police authorities were actually doing nothing about such criminal elements among its officers in the force.
He said most times the authorities would say that they had not received any reports of these rogue officers.
The prisoners, George Ikalom and Timothy Rorepa, will appear in court tomorrow for their sentence.
Both were remanded in police custody yesterday.