Police team looks into fires

A POLICE investigation team will be deployed to Alotau, Milne Bay, to find out why local police officers burnt down 21 houses at Daga Compound at around 4am on Monday.
Alotau MP Charles Abel told The National that police had their internal processes of addressing such issues and a team would be on the ground to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Abel said the district and the provincial government were providing relief supplies and shelter for the victims.
He said was looking at relocating the victims.
Michael Walamas, an affected resident, said his family were not prepared for the incident and had come without any prior warning.
“I am an employee of Oil Search and I rent here and live with my wife and children and the burning down of the house has caused me to lose all my work equipment and other property,” he said.
“It is not only me.
“Many others have also lost their properties.”
Walamas said he was forced to take time off work to resettle his family, including building a temporary shelter.
He said those who lost their homes and property would struggle to rebuild and those responsible needed to be held accountable for their actions.
Landowner Lloyd Weuta told The National that one of tenants had just completed building a new
permanent house which was among the homes burnt down by police.
“If the police have issues with the people in the compound they must inform our leaders and speak to us in the compound,” he said.
“We all have our community leaders and we must respect them.”
Attempts to get comments from the acting Alotau police commander Insp Andrew Weda were unsuccessful.