Villagers given deadline to hand over suspects

 By PISAI GUMAR

SALAMUA village leaders in Huon Gulf, Morobe, have been given 48 hours to apprehend and surrender three suspects who were involved in the attack of foreign trekkers and porters on Tuesday.

Local level government manager Joe Paru yesterday asked Mubo village councilor Kipuc Ainiko, peace officer Augustine and magistrate Steven to mobilise interior villagers to apprehend the suspects and bring them in for police interrogation.

“If nothing eventuates after 48 hours, police will use all means with force to trap the criminals” Paru said.

The five porters who fled Tuesday’s attack by six armed and masked robbers at Banis Donkey on the Black Cat Track, arrived on foot at Salamua and reported to Paru at 8pm on Wednesday.

The porters told Paru that they had seen two of the suspected robbers on their way back but they ran into the forest.

According to a porter, Lapi Jack, the porters had been given a warning by these two same men while they were walking to Wau on Saturday. 

Paru managed to defuse tension by talking Lagui villagers out of retaliating against interior villages when the news of the attack in which two of the 18 porters accompanying the trekking party were killed, and others injured. 

Interior Kaiwa villages include Mubo, Wapali, Gorogasu, Bitoi, Popdubi, Kamiatam, Salus and Buansing on the coast.

None of the visiting trekkers, seven Australians and a New Zealander, suffered serious injuries although some were bashed on the head with rifle butts and another was speared in the leg.

Bulolo district administrator Robin Bazinuc said yesterday police would need community assistance and cooperation to capture the robbers.

“The district and provincial administration have advised provincial police commander (PPC) Leo Lamei and rural patrol unit coordinator to submit logistical costs for us to fund police operations”.

“We will need national government funding assistance to investigate this inhuman brutal attack and killings,” Bazinuc said.

All available resources would be utilised to capture the robbers and restore confidence in Black Cat Track operations, he added.