Villagers speak up on police-Baker shooting, fire incident on Dec 6

The National Main Stories

By SYLVESTER WEMURU
MORE frightening and horrifying stories are emerging from the alleged shootout between the police and Tommy Maeva Baker’s gang of killers and robbers in Alatou on Dec 6.
Today, the parents of 11-year-old Roy Digeida recalled how their son fled in the nick of time to cheat a fiery death after policemen allegedly set fire to his house and 17 others.
Though thankful to be alive, Roy has to live with burn scars in his arms and body for the rest of his life. And he is still undergoing medical treatment for the burns.
Roy’s mother, Kelesta Digeida, 30, told The National: “Roy was frightened by the behaviour of the policemen, so he ran into our house. But the policemen (allegedly) torched our house.
“I was then in the nearby river, where I was doing my laundry, when a woman rushed up to tell me that Roy was crying and screaming in the house.
“I then rushed back home and found Roy sprawled on the ground outside our burning house. He had, apparently, managed to break through the wall to flee.”
“And when I lifted him, he told me not to touch him as he was in pain. The house was already engulfed in flames.”
Kelesta said she was lost for words but she rushed Roy to the hospital where doctors told me that I was lucky to bring him in for treatment quickly.
“The doctors said any delay could have seriously and permanently damaged his nerves,” she said, adding that Roy was still undergoing treatment for his injuries.
“I will be sending him to hospital for surgery and to check if his nerves had recovered from the burns,” Keleste said.

Lewis Jimmy

Another Kitava compound villager, Lewis Jimmy (pic), 31, said he was playing volleyball on the field when he heard gun shots.
“So, I ran to see to see what was happening.
“Police had gathered villagers and forced them to sit on the field. Seeing that, I walked away but a policeman stopped me outside my house.
“He asked if I had (fire) matches. I said yes and he ordered me to give him the matches. He then set fire to my house and passed the matches to his colleagues who started torching other houses in the compound,” he added.
He said the policemen drove into the compound in five vehicles and there were more than 10 fully armed policemen with firearms.
Jimmy said: “They pointed their guns at me and other villagers and told us not to watch or look at them burning the houses. The policemen left after the houses were engulfed in flames.
“We were all too scared to report the incident to the police.”

Petueli Sinody

Petueli Sinody (pic), 38, said he was in his house which was near the compound’s driveway when he saw the police vehicles moving in.
“The criminals that the police were hunting did not come into the compound.
“They used a route that bypassed our compound to get to their hideout on hill. They were already gone when the policemen arrived.”

 

 

 

 

 

Chronology of The National’s exclusive news reports that featured Kitava compound residents who have mustered courage to speak up on their terrifying experience with the police on Dec 6 last year:
  • NAPOLEON Saevaru told The National on July 18 that the body of his mother, Rodha Dick, 86, was still lying in the mortuary after she was allegedly shot dead by the police on Dec 6. He said family members were not satisfied with the first post-mortem that was conducted on Dec 18 because the bullet that hit her was not removed. So, the family requested a second autopsy to identify whether the bullet belonged to the police or the criminals. The Alatou district court magistrate signed and approved the second autopsy to be conducted on April 3, but the family is still waiting to claim Rodha’s body for funeral rites and burial;
  • SOUTHERN command assistance commander Supt John Maru told The National on July 21 that he was not aware of the progress made on the investigation into the death of Rodha, and that he had not received any report from investigators in Alotau;
  • POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer told The National on July 23 that he wanted Acting Police Comm Francis Tokura to respond and clarify the progress of the investigation into Rodha’s death;
  • ANOTHER three witnesses, including a woman who was hit by a pellet but survived, told The National of the terrifying encounter with the policemen who were hunting for the Tommy Baker gang of killers and robbers. Tani Lucas, 28, related how she was hit by the pellet from shots fired by the police. She is also having difficulty getting the medical report that would confirm that she was shot. Rodha’s grandson Eslick Napoleon Jnr Saevaru, 27, and villager David Bate 34, both lamented how the policemen arrived firing in all directions and later torched their houses before leaving.