Wewak police, jail boss reject claims of denying detainees’ aid

POLICE and the Correctional Services in Wewak, East Sepik, have rejected claims by relatives of three West Papuans and a Papua New Guinean that they had been denied medical and legal help since being detained six weeks ago.
Boram jail commander Aron Menau said the allegations raised by anonymous relatives in The National last Friday were lies.
He said there were processes in lodging their bail applications that the relatives had to follow.
“They should not raise baseless allegations in the media about the four people on remand,” he said.
“It was better for the relatives to wait until the four appeared before Wewak District Court next Monday where the question of bail could be raised.
“If they did not want to wait they could engage a lawyer to work on their bail application.”
On claims the four men needed medical attention, he said: “No they are not sick, they are okay.”
Provincial police commander Vincent Pokas said claims by relatives that police were under pressure from Indonesia to deny the West Papua refugees legal representation were false.
Pokas said from Buka in Bougainville yesterday that East Sepik police had no links with Indonesia and acted on its own.
which showed that the prime suspect was a habitual offender.
He said that was why the men had been denied bail.
The three West Papuans – Abraham Kareni, Jude Kambuaya and Esboren Fonatabai – and Papua New Guinean Anton Toto were apprehended by police and customs officers last November 17 after they arrived from Vanimo on a banana boat.
They were formally charged two days later under the Customs Act for tax evasion and have been remanded at Boram jail awaiting their court appearance, which is set for next Monday.