Turi denies joint forces operation

 NATIONAL Capital District Met Supt Benjamin Turi yesterday brushed aside reports of a joint police and military operation to evict a family from a property at Waigani on Tuesday. 

“The police Dog Unit was acting on a court order to evict the tenants from the property,” Turi said.

“The soldiers were relatives of the complainant who were there to observe the eviction. However, the public misinterpreted the soldiers’ presence and called the military police. 

“The military police came and confirmed that the soldiers were not involved with the police to evict the tenants so they left.”

Public Solicitor Jim Wala Tamate had condemned the exercise and advised Turi in a letter dated Feb 3, 2016 on behalf of the aggrieved tenants. Tamate said the eviction was illegal as police and soldiers were enforcing a 2004 court order from the Port Moresby District Court. 

“There is a National Court decision handed down on Nov 8, 2012, that dismissed the district court order.”  

But Turi denied receiving Tamate’s letter. 

Earlier, he called on the Lands Department and Housing Corporation to be honest in their work.