More police for Southern Highlands

New police recruits, under the Southern Highlands-sponsored six-month initiative, and their squad master passing by the reviewing officer and Southern Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru in a march formation, The National reports.

The 192 probationary constables graduated last Friday at the Bomana Police College outside NCD. 

Of the lot, 120 will be posted at various locations in the province while 72 will serve in other provinces. A

lso present at the graduation were parade host Police Commissioner Gari Baki, Southern Highlands MPs and senior police officers. – Nationalpic by AURI EVA

Police purge

Bawa first of top cops charged

By JULIA DAIA BORE

NEW National Capital District police chief Fred Sheekiot has wield the axe on senior police white-collar crime in the city, The National reports.

The first victim was former NCD police operations deputy boss Andy Bawa, who was arrested and charged with two counts of official corruption last Friday.

Another 10 senior officers would be similarly charged, Sheekiot, who is commander of NCD and Central, said when declaring that he had started his “head-rolling” exercise of police officers within his command who had been indulging in deals outside of their call of duty.

The crackdown was in line with the directives from Police Commissioner Gari Baki, he said, adding that Bawa had been suspended without pay with immediate effect pending the outcome of his court case.

Bawa had, over the years, developed a reputation as a hard-working deputy of NCD police chief Supt Fred Yakasa.

He had been replaced by Chief Insp Jim Namora as the new operations commander for NCD.

Sheekiot said the charges involved receiving a double salary spanning over three years – one from the police force and another from another government agency since January 2008.

The charges alleged that in addition to his normal police salary, Bawa was being paid K500 a fortnight by another government agency between Jan 1, 2008, and April 22 last year and between April 23 last year and July 21 this year.

Bawa was allowed bail of K500 last Friday, and was expected to appear in court this week.

Sheekiot said the practice of double dipping had been going on for a while with no action taken by those in authority.

“We have to clean up our backyard first before we can effectively exercise our designated roles as policing officers in the larger community of NCD and PNG.”

He said more officers would be charged in the coming days.

Since Baki announced a crackdown on discipline within the constabulary, complaints had emerged that policemen were continuing as security guards for politicians, heads of government departments and statutory organisations and businesses.

It was alleged that these policemen were given vehicles and salaries or allowances by their “side employers” while they continue to draw salary from police and live in barracks or police housing.

“Baki must clean up the entire force.

“The crackdown should not just target one or two people,” a senior police officer said last night.

“If police are providing security for big businesses in the city, Baki must stop them.

“If policemen are wearing uniforms and engaging in businesses, Baki must stop them, or get rid of them,” he added.

Policeman shot dead in Port Moresby robbery

By JULIA DAIA BORE

 

A LONG-serving policeman and father of seven was shot dead at close range yesterday while escorting a company’s pay-run in Port Moresby, The National reports.

The shooting took place during the afternoon rush hour outside the Correctional Services headquarters at Hohola about 4.30pm.

He was named as Paul Waim, from Kerowagi, Chimbu, who was stationed at Moreguina, in Central’s Abau district.

Bystanders gathering around the vehicle to check on the policeman who was shot and could be seen lying across the two front seats. – Pictures courtesy of CS media

Waim and another policeman were escorting a rubber company depositing cash and pay run from the Abau district when they were attacked in the city.

Eyewitnesses said Waim and his colleague and others were in a utility vehicle driving slowly towards the busy Wards Drive from Islander Drive when their vehicle was intercepted by another utility vehicle near the Islander drain and the CS headquarters.

They said they saw the killers, armed with weapons, step out their vehicle, a silver-brown Toyota Hilux, and confronted the passengers in the intercepted utility.

One eyewitness said: “They came out with high-powered guns and shouted to the driver to leave the utility, screaming, ‘come out, you come’.

“Then, one of the men holding onto the weapon, appeared to be holding a pistol, fired six to seven continuous shots at the policeman.

“The gun was emptied on the policeman who was in uniform.”

The impact of the bullets threw Waim back, flat on the seat in the vehicle.

“The armed men then rushed into their vehicle and sped off toward Hohola.”

The sound of gunshots drew a large crowd who tried to help before the other policeman, apparently unhurt, drove his wounded colleague to Port Moresby General Hospital.

Another eyewitness said they also noticed the killers remove two weapons from the utility which the policemen were in before they fled the scene.

One eyewitnesses described the scene as “just straight out a movie” and that “things happened so swiftly, fast and unsuspicious”.

Port Moresby police could not be contacted to confirm whether any money was stolen.

Central police commander Chief Supt John Maru, who was at the Port Moresby General Hospital late yesterday to arrange for the release of the body, had called on companies seeking police escort to provide a separate vehicle from the vehicle carrying the money.

Maru also condemned the lack of resources and inadequate funding of the police force which he said was the reason why policemen in escort situations, such as yesterday’s, were left to carry out the escort, travelling in the same vehicle as that carrying the cash.