Wenge urges law enforcers to sue state

 By DUNCAN WILLIS

MOROBE Governor Luther Wenge is urging law enforcement officers and agents to take legal action against the state for money to maintain their operations running.

He said they were entitled to K2 per head annually from the government under the Organic Law on Local Level and Provincial Governments (OLLLPG).

He estimated that since the law came into effect in 1995, the amount owed to the law and justice sector had accumulated to “more than K200 million”.

Wenge had been compelled to raise the issue after repeated calls by police in Morobe that the provincial government was not funding their operations.

He said it was not the role of the provincial but the national government.

“The government of PNG under the constitution is legally obligated to provide funds and logistics to the Royal PNG Constabulary and law enforcement agencies and if police feel that they are not getting this, they have the right to get the National government to comply with them,” Wenge said.

He said the police, Ombudsman, public solicitor, public prosecutor, judiciary, correctional services and other law enforcement agencies fall into category where they have to be provided with funds.

“It seems to me that none of these institutions are exercising the right to sue the national government for failure to provide support when they need it,” he said.