Villagers claiming over K69mil from State

MORE than K69 million is claimed against the State by 1105 villagers from Imbonggu in Southern Highlands whose properties were destroyed during police raids in February 2011.
Their claim will continue to be heard after Judge William Neill, sitting as a single Supreme Court judge at Waigani, refused to grant leave to the plaintiffs on Friday.
The plaintiffs, led by Martin Yoko, sought to review the decision of a National Court judge who allowed the State to file its defence out of time.
They were aggrieved by the decision because they wanted the court to enter a default judgment when the State responded to their statement of claim.
Yoko and 1104 others are claiming against the police and the State K69,215,155 in damages for physical injury, loss of lives, properties and economical loss.
The State raised its defence that the members of Highway Patrol 17 and other police units led by Inspector Phillip Kumo did not set fire to the four villages of Kumuge, Lipenomu, Koropangi and Amboi Anda.
The raids occurred on Feb 10-12 and March 9, 2011, at several villages in the Kumunge council ward purportedly to apprehend suspects allegedly involved in the killing of police officer
Issac Mombi on Feb 9, 2011.
The plaintiffs claimed they were not notified of the killing and were unaware when police entered their villages and caused destruction to their properties.
They claimed much of their properties were lost in the fire “included both traditional and modern homes, trade stores, workshops, motor vehicles, plant and equipment, pig and poultry houses and many other items”.