Senior public servants harrassed by police: Yama

MADANG Governor Peter Yama says two senior public servants have been harassed by policemen from outside the province over the K6 million funding for the Manam Restoration Authority.
He said police took away provincial administrator Joseph Kunda and deputy administrator Paul Amera from the provincial office without any warrant of arrest.
He blamed Police Minister Bryan Kramer for being behind the move.
“I know this is a political witch-hunt by Kramer.
“I can’t allow policemen from Kimbe and Port Moresby to come into my province and harass public servants.
“It’s disrespectful to my people,” he said.
Kramer said yesterday “police have powers to investigate any complaint or incident they have reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed”.
“People who have nothing to hide don’t go into hiding or go to the media claiming witch-hunt.
“I would expect them to be only too happy to assist police in their investigation and allow evidence and facts to clear their names.”
Police confirmed that Kunda and Amera had been charged with one count each of misappropriation and abuse of office.
Police have filed an application in court to review the decision of Madang District Court Magistrate Fredoline Kambibel to set aside the ex-parte order obtained by Madang police to search the Madang provincial treasury office last week.
Magistrate Kambibel had ordered that all “seized documents, materials, inclusive of computers and information of whatever nature obtained (by Snr Insp Oscar Tobing) pursuant to the said search warrant be returned to the office of Madang administrator Markus Kachau forthwith”.
The application by police filed at the Madang National Court ordered that all documents would be locked up at the National Court Registry. The case was adjourned to Nov 20.