Tokura, Baki to meet

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
ACTING Police Commissioner Francis Tokura wants to sit down with Gari Baki to discuss the recent changing of the guard in the constabulary involving the two of them and others.
“We are career police officers and we must not have any ill-feelings regarding the National Executive Council (NEC) decision,” he told The National last weekend.
“I’m planning to see Baki this week about all these latest appointments.”
He said he heard that he had been appointed acting police commissioner for three months but was yet to see the gazettal notice on that.
“I will have to go to police headquarters to see if there is a gazettal notice about my appointment.”
Police Minister Bryan Kramer last Friday had instructed Baki to vacate the police commissioner’s office because his contract had expired in May. Also to leave with Baki are his two deputies, assistant commissioners Raphael Huafolo (administration) and Jim Andrews (operations) whose contracts had expired.
Replacing them are assistant commissioners Joanne Clarkson (administration) and Peter Guinness (operations).
It could not be confirmed yesterday whether Tokura, who was in charge of the Bougainville Police Service and Baki had already met in Port Moresby.
Both men could not be contacted for a comment yesterday.
Kramer said Tokura had told him earlier that he would be meeting Baki at the police headquarters in Port Moresby.
“Tokura has advised me to move in yesterday (Monday) and meet with Baki,” he said.
Kramer said yesterday he had not received any information that the two had met.
Baki said last Sunday he would obtain a restraining order from the court to stop his removal.
He did not respond yesterday to questions sent to him on that issue.
Kramer said he had not received any such order from the court as of yesterday.
He invited anyone wishing to lodge a complaint over the appointment of Tokura as acting commissioner, plus Clarkson and Guinness as his deputies, to do so.