Police on collision course

O'Namah's Private Police Brutality, Post Courier Photo

Police Commissioner, Tom Kulunga has been put to task to address a 16 point petition which was drawn up this morning by police officers working within NCD and Central.

The Gordon Police Barracks has now returned to normalcy after a chaotic morning of frustration and retaliation by officers who are angered over the attack of some of their own allegedly by officers from the Mt Hagen Squad unit that was flown into Port Moresby last year.

The situation was calmed down with assistance of Assistant Commissioner for Police_ Central Commander, Francis Tokura, NCD’s Superintendent for Operations, Andy Bawa and Metropolitian Commander for NCD, Peter Guiness, who assured police men and women present that their grieviencess would be looked into immediately after meeting with the Police Commissioner.

16 POINT PETITION

The Police Hierarchy will have address at least 16 issues raised by police officers this morning, some of which includes, immediate investigations into the incident yesterday and for those who were responsible to arrested and charged, under whose direction did the deployment of these Hagen based police squad come under, for resources of these Hagen Police squad to be removed from them, Medical expenses to be paid for by the officers responsible for the attacks and that NO OFFICER or SQUAD from NCD or Central be deployed to another province for the election period until this issue is dealt with. The Commissioner is believed to be meeting with his NCD/ CENTRAL commanders to assess the petition.

From the Post Courier

THE POLICE hierarchy in the National Capital District is now working around the clock to stabilise a situation where six members of the Central Highway Patrol based in NCD were stopped and badly beaten by members from the four Mt Hagen based mobile squads who were flown down during the political impasse.
One of the policeman who was punched and is recovering from serious injury, Sergeant Paul Simon, said he was in the office when the incident occurred right in front of the headquarters.
“We don’t take part in any political sides or issues relating to the police commissioner or the current Chief Justice issue.
“It was around midday we didn’t have any vehicle or police vehicles to help one of our member officer who wanted to move his cargo from Kaugere settlement to Gordons Police Barracks.
“And about 10 to 15 land cruisers used by our comrades from the Highlands, who fired warning shots and stopped the vehicle in front of the Central Highway Patrol headquarters, and it was surprising when they started dragging all my boys out and started punching, kicking and even got bricks and started to hit them like they really wanted to kill them,” Sergeant Paul said.
“I don’t see any reason as to why they should come up with this kind of surprise attack. I walked out to stop the beatings and I got some belting as well .. the whole reason they did it is not warranted and my boys did not take part in any illegal activities for them to be attacked like this.
“They treated them like criminals with uniforms. The public who were present were surprised to see policemen fighting with policemen, they made my cops look like criminals,” he said. Sergeant Paul Simon said they took them to Boroko Police Station where they were again kicked and stripped from their uniforms and told to lie down like criminals. “We pulled up to Boroko to see our bosses especially the Metropolitan Commander and the Superindentand of Operations Andy Bawa who were also surprised to see what had happened, they told us they had no knowledge of what had happened.
“And he called on the hierarchy to ensure that those involved are brought to justice.
“We would want to see if those involved could be brought to justice as we all are policemen working for the same objective, to maintain law and order in our provinces.”
“The main concern we have now is the business of Highlands’ cops who have been brought down to the city. What is their role here and what do they do that we don’t do. We maintain law and order on the ground here and we don’t know or see what they do here to help us. By running around in land cruisers... etc..”
“We are appealing to the bosses to look into these matters as the policemen have been badly beaten, with one who is still vomiting, others with broken lips, one with a broken tooth, bruised eyes and in terrible condition.”
“There were about 60 – 70 of them, in more than 10 landcruisers. It is very sad for our comrades to fight against our policemen,” Sergeant Paul said.
Murray Nai’o, one of the policemen who was badly beaten, said that they were not given any chance to speak. and instead were constantly gun-butted and accused of being part of the Armed Robbery Response Unit (ARRU) which Mr Nai’o and his group. It is supposedly already abolished.”
“They were also screaming. Which Government are you serving?,’’ he said.
Mr Nai’o said when they were brought to the Boroko Police Station, they were stripped from their uniforms and asked to lie down like criminals.
Attempts to talk to NCD hierarchy as to the reason for the attack were unsuccessful but according to the McGregor Barracks where the headquarters of the Mobile Squad is situated, the civilian vehicle that the Highway patrol policemen were in was seen leaving and entering a camp at six-mile on numerous occasions.
The camp, according to their intelligence, was used by the now disbanded ARRU and then it was used again during the failed attempted military coup.
Mobile squad units were monitoring the camp and had seen that vehicle entering and leaving the camp which prompted them to tail the vehicle until they detained the occupants.

GORDONS STAND-OFF Photos, courtesy of IDPNG