Supt denies in-fighting

 LAE metropolitan commander Iven Lakatani has denied allegations there are “internal politics” in the police hierarchy in Lae, Morobe.

Supt Lakatani clarified this last week after Lae MP and Community Development Minister Loujaya Toni said certain projects she wanted to initiate for the Lae police were dragging on because of internal issues.

Toni made the comment when announcing a K900,000 library, television and computer laboratory projects for Buimo prison.

Referring to the police, Toni said: “They would have been cutting ribbons to their gymnasium, two three-bedroom duplexes and an elementary classroom but this will not happen because of their internal politics.”

 “I have no idea about what she is talking about,” Lakatani said.

“The delay in implementing the Bumbu barracks project is because we need a new design plan,” he said.

“The design will have to come from the police headquarters. They will tell us what to do.” 

Lakatani said the project was not a one-off thing and would be implemented over a period of time with funding from the Lae district joint budget planning and budget priority committee and police.