Trigger happy cop shoots up office

By ARMSTRONG SAIYAMA
WESTERN police are investigating why an officer from another province was firing shots in public at Balimo town last Saturday.
Western provincial police commander Silva Sika said the officer from Gulf used his police issue gun to fire shots at the district treasury building.
“The policeman was frustrated and he did it for unknown reasons,” Sika said.
He said Balimo town mayor Kave Biyama tried to stop the police officer.
“But the policeman directly threatened Biyama,” he said.
He said the Balimo police later managed to disarm the rogue officer.
Sika said no one was hurt but Balimo residents were shocked by the shooting incident.
He said the officer was part of a team from Gulf deployed to a logging site at Kamusi which he was not aware of.
 “Western is my jurisdiction.
“I have not been consulted or informed of policemen from Gulf operating in my command,” Sika said.
He added that he had no idea  who had sent the Kerema-based policemen to carry out operations in Western.
Sika had directed Daru police station commander Ricker Saiwa to travel to Balimo tomorrow to investigate this incident.
“I have purchased Saiwa’s ticket and he will fly on a plane tomorrow to Balimo,” Sika said.
He said Saiwa would establish the facts on the policeman’s actions at the district treasury office.
“I have instructed Saiwa to arrest and charge the policeman after his investigations into the shooting incident,” Sika said.
Meanwhile, he has written a letter to the logging company at Kamusi informing them of this incident.