Free Wartoto and Kill Kapris
By LUCAS KIAP
When the Nation was in grief over the continuous violent crime against women and children and obsessed with the hunting down of the escapee bank robber Kapris last week, there was another story crept into the mainstream media unnoticed with less attention.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, the headlines of the mainstream media reported that the Bank robber William Nanua Kapris was escaped with two other high profile criminals from the maximum prison cells in Bomana prison outside of Port Moresby the previous day. On the same day in Australia, there was another event unfolding with Australian Authorities seized properties belong to PNG’s own businessman from East New Britain, Eremas Wartoto as reported by the Age Newspaper.
What made these two stories stood out from the other events happening around the country on the same day, notably the National Haus Krai by the Women Arise PNG movement?
Walliam Nanua Kapris is a celebrity yet a convicted criminal, murderer and rapist who has escaped twice from the Bomana maximum prison. He has been the mastermind of major bank robberies in the country as well as other crimes of murder and rape. He has once confessed in a video interview that he was a scapegoat of some high profile politicians who used him and funded his operations in secrecy while profiting from whatever he had stolen. How much he had stolen and benefited is still remains unclear.
On the other hand Eremas Wartoto is a PNG businessman from East New Britain. He runs the Mangi Long Ples Airlines in PNG, with some other business assets in Australia. He has been living in Cairns under a 457 Australian visa since 2011 after he was accused of misappropriating more than K61.1 million from the PNG government. He is said to have misappropriated K8 million from the Resi funds - funds which were meant for upgrade work on our rundown schools. He has also received another K10 million as airfreight subsidies, which other PNGeans are yet to receive their shares, if there is such free-handout scheme operate by the government to help PNG businessmen.
These two stories highlight some serious conflicting scenarios. Kapris is a criminal who used guns and other weapons to steal a few bucks from the banks while Wartoto is a white-collar criminal who didn’t use guns but instead used political connections to steal or misappropriate more than K61.1 million from the PNG government. Kapris has been serving time in prison while Wartoto has been living in Australia under a 457 Australian visa. Kapris is now hunting down by hundreds of our hardworking policemen who will likely shot and kill him while Wartoto is living in Australia unable to travel to PNG to face charges due to serious heart conditions but he is said to travel to other countries.
What even making these two stories more interesting is that the Australian government can harbor white-collar criminals like Wartoto from PNG in Australia under a 457 Australian visa but not criminals like Kapris, who will have a hard time getting a 457 Australian visa. This raises a lot of questions about Australia’s Aid to PNG. The Australian government is telling the people of PNG that they gave AusAID only to get more back by letting white collar criminals investing in their country.
By the way, as these two cases are starting to unfold, the People of Papua New Guinea are eagerly waiting to see the outcome, whether this government’s undertakings to stop corruption and law and order problems in the country will hold true or not.
The outcome will definitely set the president in PNG whether people should steal a few bucks from the banks only to be hunted down, imprisoned and killed or steal millions and billions from the State and run freely. The basis of the judgment and eventual handing down of the decision will reinforce the traditional perception of the two sets of laws in the country between white-collar criminals and real criminals.
This is a fight between the real criminals and white-collar criminals over who should be above the laws of this country.
Whatever the outcome is, PNG let’s wait and see, as this will be a defining moment in the history of our beautiful country.
When the Nation was in grief over the continuous violent crime against women and children and obsessed with the hunting down of the escapee bank robber Kapris last week, there was another story crept into the mainstream media unnoticed with less attention.
On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, the headlines of the mainstream media reported that the Bank robber William Nanua Kapris was escaped with two other high profile criminals from the maximum prison cells in Bomana prison outside of Port Moresby the previous day. On the same day in Australia, there was another event unfolding with Australian Authorities seized properties belong to PNG’s own businessman from East New Britain, Eremas Wartoto as reported by the Age Newspaper.
What made these two stories stood out from the other events happening around the country on the same day, notably the National Haus Krai by the Women Arise PNG movement?
Walliam Nanua Kapris is a celebrity yet a convicted criminal, murderer and rapist who has escaped twice from the Bomana maximum prison. He has been the mastermind of major bank robberies in the country as well as other crimes of murder and rape. He has once confessed in a video interview that he was a scapegoat of some high profile politicians who used him and funded his operations in secrecy while profiting from whatever he had stolen. How much he had stolen and benefited is still remains unclear.
On the other hand Eremas Wartoto is a PNG businessman from East New Britain. He runs the Mangi Long Ples Airlines in PNG, with some other business assets in Australia. He has been living in Cairns under a 457 Australian visa since 2011 after he was accused of misappropriating more than K61.1 million from the PNG government. He is said to have misappropriated K8 million from the Resi funds - funds which were meant for upgrade work on our rundown schools. He has also received another K10 million as airfreight subsidies, which other PNGeans are yet to receive their shares, if there is such free-handout scheme operate by the government to help PNG businessmen.
These two stories highlight some serious conflicting scenarios. Kapris is a criminal who used guns and other weapons to steal a few bucks from the banks while Wartoto is a white-collar criminal who didn’t use guns but instead used political connections to steal or misappropriate more than K61.1 million from the PNG government. Kapris has been serving time in prison while Wartoto has been living in Australia under a 457 Australian visa. Kapris is now hunting down by hundreds of our hardworking policemen who will likely shot and kill him while Wartoto is living in Australia unable to travel to PNG to face charges due to serious heart conditions but he is said to travel to other countries.
What even making these two stories more interesting is that the Australian government can harbor white-collar criminals like Wartoto from PNG in Australia under a 457 Australian visa but not criminals like Kapris, who will have a hard time getting a 457 Australian visa. This raises a lot of questions about Australia’s Aid to PNG. The Australian government is telling the people of PNG that they gave AusAID only to get more back by letting white collar criminals investing in their country.
By the way, as these two cases are starting to unfold, the People of Papua New Guinea are eagerly waiting to see the outcome, whether this government’s undertakings to stop corruption and law and order problems in the country will hold true or not.
The outcome will definitely set the president in PNG whether people should steal a few bucks from the banks only to be hunted down, imprisoned and killed or steal millions and billions from the State and run freely. The basis of the judgment and eventual handing down of the decision will reinforce the traditional perception of the two sets of laws in the country between white-collar criminals and real criminals.
This is a fight between the real criminals and white-collar criminals over who should be above the laws of this country.
Whatever the outcome is, PNG let’s wait and see, as this will be a defining moment in the history of our beautiful country.
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