Tribe protests over killing

 By ARMSTRONG SAIYAMA

RELATIVES of the girl allegedly killed by policemen in Port Moresby on April 19 yesterday staged a peaceful demonstration at the Boroko police station.

The Ekai tribesmen and women of Ialibu district in Southern Highlands congregated at the station and demanded justice to take place.

Ekai leader Julius Kera presented a petition to the National Capital District police operations commander Perou N’dranou.

“This petition is to bring to your attention the rampant and widespread level of police brutality in PNG that is happening at a very alarming rate where defenceless and innocent mothers and children have become casualties. 

“This now calls for your immediate intervention to address this issue once and for all,” Kera said.

“It is about time we stand together to address this issue.” 

He claimed that it was the rude, senseless and inhuman behaviour of the policemen that led to the killing of the young girl.

“Such merciless actions of the so called policemen on the night of April 19 deeply provoked me and my tribesmen to seek redress from the state and the police department,” Kera said.

The petition demanded the police hierarchy to:

l Immediately engage with us (the victim’s relatives) in communication and mediation for police to take full ownership of all costs associated with the funeral expenses.

l Accept responsibility by meeting all the funeral related costs because the body is at the Funeral Home and costs will increase day by day;

l Accept responsibility and pay belkol money of K50,000 in recognition of the death, physical suffering of the mother who has gun pellets on her body, the trauma suffered by the mother, her kids and the driver;

l Immediate arrest and lock up of all police officers on duty or those involved on the night of April 19 while the normal process of formal investigations are pursued and the matter is brought to the court;

l Provide close and strict scrutiny on the recruitment of the new police personnel in the future so that potential trouble makers are identified and excluded early;

l Disarm police officers on normal rounds of duties except on issues/or events that seriously requires weapons;

l Completely stop any form of police brutality or harassment on innocent citizens of this country;

l Provide very tough disciplinary actions against police officers caught involved in or associating in all forms of criminal activities; and 

l Justice to be done at the earliest opportunity beginning with the arrest and detention of those responsible.

N’dranou assured the victim’s relatives that police authorities would read the petition and reply to them later.

“I want to assure you people that investigation is still continuing on this case.

“It will take time for our investigations for court to accept our evidences,” he told the victim’s relatives.

He stressed that police would not entertain rogue officers in the constabulary.