Power firm hit by Oro criminals

National, Normal
Source:

The National,Wednesday 07th December 2011

By JUNIOR UKAHA
A PNG Power employee was attacked by thugs on Saturday night as criminal activities escalates in Popondetta, Northern, two weeks away from Christmas.
Company acting chief executive officer Lawrence Solomon said a power station operator on duty on Saturday night in Biru was stabbed by criminals who broke into the company premises.
He said last Friday a group of men broke into the home of a customer service officer in the early hours of the morning and stole a company vehicle.
Solomon said on the same day, hours after the customer service officer was held up at his home, he and the centre manager were held up on their way back to the office after checking on a mechanic who flew in from Port Moresby to fix a faulty generator.
Northern provincial police commander Victor Isouve said he had received information on the attacks but said the details were “sketchy” as there was “no official police reports on the matter”.
“I have instructed my men to travel to Biru to find out if a PNG Power workman was attacked.
“I will give full details once I’m briefed about the situation on the ground,” he said.
Isouve said Biru was about 9km from town and it would take time for his men to travel there.
Solomon said the centre manager and the customer service officer were injured and their vehicle taken from them by the criminals.
He said on the same day a lines foreman was held up.
“A (third) company vehicle was taken from him,” he said.
Solomon said two of the vehicles had been recovered but the whereabouts of the third one was unknown.
He said the affected staff were traumatised. One was still recovering at the Popondetta General Hospital.
He said the centre manager had met with provincial administrator Owen Awaita to raise the company’s concern.
“We are considering other options to give better security to our staff and assets,” he said.
Solomon said load-shedding in the provincial capital would continue.