Wewak at a standstill

By GABRIEL FITO
A ROW between the families of two police officers escalated into a public safety scare forcing the closure of Wewak town in East Sepik.
Police moved in quickly to secure the town’s business centre and advised people to leave immediately for their homes in the interest of their safety.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, who is in Goroka for his People’s National Congress party national convention, yesterday confirmed receiving a brief of the Wewak disturbances.
He said the issue would be discussed prominently when cabinet meets in the Eastern Highlands capital today.
This is the second time this week the town had been subjected to a shutdown because of the unruly behaviour of some citizens.
Last Monday, business in town was forced to close after fears that the relatives of the late police station commander Charles Parinjo were going to do something in retaliation.
Police officers were yesterday quickly deployed around the town to prevent any looting of the business houses including the three commercial banks.
All shops, banks and the Laura Martin market in town were forced to close as hundreds of people including mothers selling their wares at market deserted the area.
By 10am yesterday, all business activities had ceased. Police with the assistance of the Guard Dog security company secured the main shopping centre area. Public passenger vehicles immediately ceased operations.
At Dagua market, two Asian shops were closed while a locally-owned bakery shop was opened with two policemen guarding its entrance.
Outgoing provincial police commander Snr Insp Vincent Pokas said it all started with a commotion outside Wewak police station in the morning between the families of two policemen.
They had gone to the station to solve a row from the previous night at the Perigo barracks.
 A policeman’s son had reportedly shouted abuse at a senior policeman and his wife for allegedly spreading rumours on the death of Parinjo, Wewak’s police chief.
Police advised the disputing parties to leave Wewak police station and go to the provincial police headquarters where their row could be resolved.
But they refused and sparked off a confrontation with police.
It resulted in the damage to the windscreen of a police vehicle. People fled from the scene causing fear and anxiety among others in town.
Police managed to contain the situation and brought the disputing parties to the headquarters where their row was resolved in the presence of Governor Peter Wararu.
The policeman and his wife were given K1,000.  Wararu agreed to pay for the damage to the  windscreen.
Pokas said police in East Sepik was intact and there was no split within the force.
He gave the assurance that business would return to normal today.