Undialu questions police exit

Highlands

HELA Governor Philip Undialu has questioned the decision to withdraw a police mobile unit from the province.
He said this was partly to blame for the death of Sergeant Philip Hewali who was recently shot and killed at an illegal roadblock near Tigibi village at Komo-Margarima.
“I have been calling on the police minister and commissioner not to withdraw the services of MS09 (mobile squad) since May 2017,” he said.
“After election duties, they were redeployed back to provide security for the LNG project. Someone will have to tell us why the LNG project is worth more than my people. We need to review the MOA between the police department and ExxonMobil.”
“Hela is the only province in PNG with no police structure,” he said.
“Our provincial police structure proposal is collecting dust somewhere at police headquarters and the Department of Personnel Management over the past five years.”
Undialu is not happy that no update has been given about the investigation into the deaths of two Koroba policemen near Mendi.
Hela executive council plans to:

  • Establish a reserve police unit and allow Hela youths to take ownership of law and order;
  • allocate K2 million to secure land for a new Tari police station;
  • rebuild the Komo police station and set up a new mobile squad; and,
  • Tell police and ExxonMobil not to bring in police from outside.