PPC vetoes compo talks
The National- Thursday, January 20, 2011
By AGNES FIFI UKI
UPNG journalism student
POLICE personnel in Southern Highlands and the Hela region have been instructed not to negotiate compensation to resolve a committed crime.
Provincial police commander Chief Supt Teddy Tei issued a warning yesterday that anyone, including police personnel, seen to negotiate compensation to withdraw a complaint at the police station would be arrested and charged with perverting the course of justice.
Tei said people committing indictable offences and resolved them through compensation payment should not be encouraged.
He said it was becoming very common in his province and also in other parts of the highlands region where people commit serious crimes like willful murder and rape and escape justice by paying compensation.
He said the mentality of paying compensation for crimes committed was not permitted.
Tei said people may pay compensation to restore peace and good order in the community but not to pay for committing a crime.
He said people must not take the law into their own hands but let the offender face the full force of the law which will be a deterrent to others intending to committing similar crimes.
Meanwhile, police officers were also advised to know their job and implement the full process of receiving a complaint and allow it to end with the courts that had the jurisdiction to make a verdict which was more appropriate after analysing the evidence in court.