A Papua New Guinean businessman has been arrested and charged by police as the first of 15 “persons of interest” relating to post national election violence in the Southern Highlands Province earlier this year.

Police have confirmed the unsuccessful candidate for the SHP regional seat, Peter Nupiri, a former chair of PNG Power and a construction business managing director, has been arrested and charged over election-related crimes.

Police Commissioner David Manning confirmed the arrest and charging of Peter Nupiri.

• READ MORE: PNG police probe into Mendi mayhem names four rival political suspects

A search warrant was executed by police as confirmed by Commissioner Manning.

“We are not time bound by the elections. If these candidates think that we are, then they are sadly misinformed,” he said.

Police also confirmed a candidate personally presented himself to Commissioner Manning and was interviewed by the Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) to ascertain whether he was criminally responsible for crimes committed in Mendi, SHP.

He was not charged but will be required if evidence permits.

200 ballot boxes destroyed
Police allege that Nupiri, 46, from Olea village, Mendi, Southern Highlands, communicated with individuals to destroy about 200 ballot boxes that were stored at the Mendi police station.

Police allege his communication via mobile phone to several men led to the six-days violent destruction of Mendi town.

The ballot boxes were stored at the police station after supporters had disputed the counting of the 200 plus ballot boxes.

On August 18, several armed men allegedly entered the premises and fired several gun shots and threatened the duty officers.

They then took control of the premises and opened the two containers where the boxes were kept and took the boxes out and destroyed the ballot boxes by setting them on fire.

The result of the actions taken by the men led to the burning down of properties, killing of 15 people and destruction of other property.

Republished with permission.

Four prominent Papua New Guinean political leaders are on the police radar for their alleged involvement in the Mendi mayhem last week which left one person dead and thousands of kina worth of property burnt to ashes.

Police Commissioner David Manning named the four suspects as sitting Governor William Powi and his rivals Joseph Kobol, Peter Nupiri and Bernard Kaku.

The four men allegedly allowed their supporters to engage in armed conflict with rival candidates and supporters in Mendi, Southern Highlands, over the regional seat in PNG’s general election.

• READ MORE: Mendi a battlefield as disgruntled PNG election rivals raid police station
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As fighting continues, four other men were arrested in neighbouring Western Highlands Province with thousands of kina in cash and bullets in their possession.

Mount Hagen police, acting on a tip off, arrested the four men who were found to be in possession of K65,400 (NZ$30,000) in cash, and 30 5.56mm rounds along with other offensive weapons.

The men were allegedly on their way to Mendi, when they were intercepted by Mount Hagen police at the back of the WHP police headquarters.

Commissioner Manning said that the men were all from Mendi and their vehicle had also been also impounded at Mount Hagen Police Station.

“I have issued instructions for all Mount Hagen police station police not to allow any visitations,” he said.

“All mobile phones were removed from these four suspects.

‘Enough is enough’
“The suspects were apprehended by the Hagen local Task Force Response Unit just at the back of Mount Hagen Police at around 11.42am on Sunday.

“Enough is enough, we have gone past the stage of negotiations for peace. We are now required to enforce the rule of law, and it starts with the list of candidates. We have credible intelligence and sufficient evidence to link them with the ongoing violence in the town of Mendi and surrounding districts,” Commissioner Manning said.

“Peace negotiations is a short term measure, true lasting peace is when we remove individuals from society and subject them to the rule of law. Only then will we have long lasting peace.

“We will be looking at all facets of the ongoing clashes in Mendi. The source of firearms, ammunition, funding, and any individual or business assets used to support this ongoing clash.”

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.