Rogue police officers have been alleged to be part of last Wednesday’s uprising of opportunists leading to looting and ransacking of more than 20 shops and loss of businesses in the capital of Port Moresby.

Prime Minister James Marape said last week’s “Black Wednesday” unrest had led the government to consider the Vagrancy Act and complete the national Census.

Marape said the 14-day State of Emergency orders included “no movement of large crowds”.

• READ MORE: ‘Uphold right to life’ says watchdog in aftermath of deadly PNG unrest

“There is no curfew and limited movement of large crowds will be stopped,” he said.

“Police will be supported by the PNG Defence Force and they will be allowed to stop anyone and check them.

“We are taking a soft approach to the SOE for the next 14 days,” Marape added.

Meanwhile, Brian Bell Group chair Ian Clough has made an impassioned plea to the government for assistance to rebuild its business because the company’s losses suffered in the Black Wednesday plunder were not covered by insurance, reports Claudia Tally.

He said that all businesses which suffered the “indignity of huge losses” through theft, arson and looting were not covered by insurance companies.

Brian Bell suffered losses of 50 million kina (NZ$21.5 million) million) after its warehouse in Port Moresby’s Gerehu Stage 6 was completely emptied by looters during the citywide plunder of businesses on January 10.

An emotional Clough said all businesses were not covered by insurance for civil unrest. This situation needed to be treated as a “natural disaster” where the government
must step in to assist.

Gorethy Kenneth, Miriam Zarriga and Claudia Tally are PNG Post-Courier reporters. Republished with permission.

A senior Papua New Guinea police officer has called for mandatory drug tests because the National Capital District (NCD) and Central police command has been hard hit by “rogue” trade and consumption of methamphetamine among its ranks.

NCD/Central divisional commander Anthony Wagambie Jr said this while confirming that the dangerous drug known as meth had hit the streets of Port Moresby.

“This is one of my worst fears. The illegal synthetic drug is a very potent and addictive drug which has worrying effects on the well being of the user,” he said.

• READ MORE: Other PNG police reports

“I will not hide the fact that certain rogue elements within the constabulary, more specifically and rampant in the NCD/Central command, have been facilitating the trade and also have become consumers.

“The actions by a few rogue elements are tarnishing the [image of the] constabulary and its members.

“We have to be trusted by the community and to do that we have to win back that trust and we need to weed out the drug dealers and users within the constabulary.

“So far arrests have been made on certain individuals by the special investigation team from Police HQ and national drug and vice squad. My office has been supporting this operation by utilising NCD internal investigations unit.

“Our police legal team will have to create a policy around this.

New challenge
This was a new and emerging challenge faced by the constabulary and the country, Commander Wagambie said.

“I have mobilised the majority of members for us to crack down on drug addicted personnel who have become traders. This is very dangerous not only for themselves but for their families, the public and other police personnel.

“I have reached a consensus among my senior officers that we should have a mandatory testing of all personnel.

“I have made this known to our deputy commissioners and Commissioner of Police that we request for mandatory testing to be done.”

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

Retired and serving police officers in Papua New Guinea are being investigated for alleged offences such as gun-smuggling, fraud and theft, according to Police Minister Bryan Kramer.

It includes “massive corruption at the police headquarters in Port Moresby by retired and serving senior police officers”.

“Cases now under investigation are the smuggling of firearms, land/housing fraud, payroll fraud, drugs, fuel theft, insurance scam, stealing from the retired officers’ pension fund and misusing police allowances,” Kramer said.

• READ MORE: Bryan Kramer: One year in – why so quiet on corruption?

“Investigations are halfway complete in most of the cases.

“Arrests will be done at the completion of the investigations.”

Kramer said the “massive corruption” at police headquarters in Konedobu was done during the term of the previous government led by former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Kramer said the police force, once described as a national pride, had been “reduced to a private security business serving corrupt politicians and dodgy foreign businessmen”.

Weapons on-sold to province
Meanwhile, a source at police headquarters said detectives were struggling with the investigations into the smuggling of guns allegations because the suspects were retired senior police officers.

“These retired senior officers purchased firearms for the police force and brought them into the country,” the source said.

“However, the firearms were then smuggled out of Port Moresby to another province by a private security company.”

Clifford Faiparik is a reporter for The National newspaper in Papua New Guinea. The Pacific Media Centre republishes National articles with permission.

A man is in Papua New Guinea police custody and investigations are underway after the home of a senior officer was sprayed with bullets by rogue policemen at a suburban police station in the capital of Port Moresby.

The attack took place Gerehu Police Barracks between 5 and 5.30pm on Sunday while families were celebrating Father’s Day.

National Capital District/Central commander Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anthony Wagambie has confirmed the incident, saying: “Three to four men drove into the residence of Inspector Robert Wane at the old Gerehu Police Barracks with intent to harm him.

• READ MORE: Background to last month’s massive PNG drug heist and probe

“Inspector Wane is part of the Policing the Police Taskforce that have teamed up with the Police Internal Affairs to investigate some sensitive cases in which some rogue police are involved,” ACP Wagambie said.

“According to initial eyewitnesses, the group drove to the residence in a black SUV with tinted glass.

“A man dressed in blue police fatigue uniform came out of the vehicle with a high-powered firearm and started shooting.

“Luckily at the time, Inspector Wane and his family had left the residence and were at the Tasion Police Barracks close-by, across the road.

Broke into house
“The armed man broke into the house, brandishing the weapon.

“He may have had the intention to shoot someone or do harm. No one was in the house,” ACP Wagambie said.

“The community in the barracks started to mobilise, by this time the assailants [had driven] out.”

ACP Wagambie said the man dressed in police uniform and firing the weapon had a hood on, making it difficult to identify him.

“The same group then shot a youth from East Sepik, wounding him in the leg.”

ACP Wagambie said one of the suspects was arrested by police the same evening.

Claimed to be police reservist
The suspect claimed to be a police reservist but investigations proved otherwise – an impersonator, ACP Wagambie said.

Relatives of the shot youth have laid a formal complaint at Gerehu police station.

“I am warning any rogue police elements that we are not scared of you,” ACP Wagambie said.

“You touch one and another 100 will come looking for you.

“I had warned my police personnel on my inaugural parade at Boroko police station that we will not tolerate corrupt, rogue officers.”

The Pacific Media Centre republishes The National articles with permission.