Villagers lay complaints on conduct of officers during SOE

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A FORMAL complaint has been lodged against police who raded Gabi village in the National Capital District on Wednesday.
Internal Affairs Directorate director Chief Supt Robert Ali confirmed that a complaint had been laid and his officers were collecting statements from villagers and other supporting documents to investigate the matter.
It was alleged that the policemen, who drove into the village at around 3pm in at least 10 vehicles, looted homes in the village, taking property and money from the villagers and injuring some. A grade 11 student was beaten by police and suffered a broken leg.
Pou Gilbert, 20, who returned from the hospital yesterday, said he was in his house when he was attacked by policemen.
A 17-month-old baby boy also died after the raid and the family claimed that the baby died of shock from the sound of gun shots fired by the police.
Mary Leslie said her son became ill later on and was taken to the hospital where he died on Friday. Stella Morihari, a victim of that raid, said that she was almost raped by the policemen who went inside her house.
Bonny Vincent, Siaka Lega and several other villagers claimed they had lost money and other properties during the raid and wanted the Government and the Police Department to investigate the raid and take appropriate action. They claimed the policemen went into houses and searched them before coming out firing teargas.
Police arrested and charged 20 people involved in the incident relating to breaches of the SOE orders. Eight of them were caught in a dinghy at sea by members of the Water Police last week.
Acting NCD Met Supt Chief Insp Chris Tamari said in spite of the SOE restrictions, betel nut smugglers were known to use Gabi village as a distribution point.

10 comments

  • Can someone clearly indicate to the public what the professional duties of a police officer are? Police officers are everywhere seen to be acting like Judges, magistrates, and Lawyers who know everything and make legal decisions when/where ever they feel like.
    Police officers are NOT acting like peace officers as I think are required by Law of this country. Because of their (police officer’s) actions, the community fight at them.
    Please punish those found to be lawbreaker accordingly and severely to give lessons to other police officers to act within laws

    Ta

    • Yes, that’s correct.They really capitalize on it and do anything,they wish to.
      This is not right,under law all their acts are illegal and needs more attention.
      Police minister and commissioner need much time to weed out the bad apples rottening in your office.Entire country is at alraming point to react sweeply if you can not sort it out.

  • Most of the police officers are using unmarked vehicles and are taking advantage of that, Can the Police commissioner get GPS installed in those vehicles and the driver will use an ID tag to start the vehicle. That way you know who was driving that particular vehicle when the incident occurred. the so called Police officers are taking the Law into their own hands and are causing mayhem every where they go.

  • every now and then we will hear that its under investigation and until proven guilty for any police personal, why cant they be arrested locked up, bail and go to court to prove if he/she is guilty or not….simple, what’s so special about them, I just can’t understand.

  • Police officers really need to take a long hard look at their job descriptions again as well as fully understand their duty statements.

    Sampla blo ol, lukluk na pasin blo ol osem ol raskol.

    Otherwise, Much appreciation to officers who stick to their duty statements and carry out their duties within the law.

  • Yes, that’s correct.They really capitalize on it and do anything,they wish to.
    This is not right,under law all their acts are illegal and needs more attention.
    Police minister and commissioner need much time to weed out the bad apples rottening in your office.Entire country is at alraming point to react sweeply if you can not sort it out.

  • With respect to hard working genuine cops, most of them are drop outs or I should say failures and they do not posses the mental capacity approach, react and reason things as a policeman.
    I suggest Police department should install portable HD cameras in their vest so they should switch on while they are on duty. It should capture real time events and they should return the footage after their duty is over so a analytical team should see what they had done for the day and this should measure their true performance for remuneration and promotion/demotion.
    Just my take

  • Quite frankly I am disgusted at again seeing this destructive and irresponsible attitude, behaviours and actions from these Policemen.

    Not too long ago a traditional motu koita village called HB in POM, was attacked and one person killed. No formal closure on this incident has been forthcoming.

    No we have the Gabi village incident. It’s seriuos in nature as armed Policemen have brutally man handle unarmed civilians and are getting away with it at will.

    What is the Government’s stand on this..?

  • Police brutality is happening almost every centers in PNG, although they receive high profile training some of them still maintain primitive mentality, thinking that they own the law, useless! they need to be punished

  • Oppressed people will not remain oppressed forever, the yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.

    I will not be surprised to wake up one morning to find a country-wide revolt against these police officers; it will be the new normal that their corpses would the ones bloodying our streets.

    Troubled waters run deep my friends, it’s only a matter of time before the sons of this land stand up to take vengeance against those who threaten our future and peace.

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