Two arrested for allegedly causing fight that resulted in deaths

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
POLICE have arrested two men accused of fighting at Babiko village that resulted in two deaths and burning of two houses in Kairuku, Central, police commander Chief Insp Tapp Topai says.
“One of the suspects is the instigator of the fight and the other is accused of killing the victims,” he claimed. “They have been detained at the Bereina police station and will be charged with murder. Police are at the village to contain the situation which is still tense.
“The (two bodies) are at the Port Moresby General Hospital awaiting post-mortem as part of the investigation.”
Chief Insp Topai said the fight happened at the Bereina village on Monday at about 5.30am when the villagers were still sleeping.
“The fight is believed to be linked to the death of two men during the Covid-19 lockdown last month when betel nuts were banned from being sold in Port Moresby,” he said.
“The two men from Babiko village drowned in the sea when the dinghy capsized while smuggling betel nuts into Port Moresby from Bereina.
“The dinghy operator from Bereina survived that accident.”
Chief Insp Topai said Babiko villagers suspected that the operator must have caused an accident and gave him time for an explanation.
He said since the Babiko villagers did not receive any response, they decided to take revenge by executing a surprise dawn-raid that caught the villagers off-guard.
“It is understood that weapons such as guns and knives were used in the fight.”
In another incident, a student was attacked by one of the students who used a bush knife and cut one side of his eye off last week. The student was rushed to the hospital.