Fraud squad head arrested

PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Police in Papua New Guinea have arrested the anti-corruption officer who has been leading efforts to arrest the country’s prime minister.

Internal Affairs officers arrested the director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Chief Superintendent Matthew Damaru, on Thursday.

They charged him with abuse of office and deprivation of liberty, over his arrest in April of Supreme Court Judge Sir Bernard Sakora.

Damaru is accused of failing to exercise due diligence, after the judicial corruption charges against Justice Sakora were dismissed on technical grounds.

According to a police statement, Sir Bernard Sakora’s arrest was ordered by Damaru without the consent of the Public Prosecutor, as required by law, so it was deemed to be unlawful.

And since the arrest was unlawful, the consequent confinement of Sir Bernard was also unlawful and illegal, thus, the deprivation of liberty charges.

Justice Sakora was accused of accepting money from a company linked to Paraka Lawyers, the law firm at the centre of corruption allegations against PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

He is also the judge who imposed a stay order on the arrest of O’Neill over official corruption allegations.

Damaru leads the anti-corruption unit which has been pursuing an official corruption arrest warrant for Mr O’Neill since June 2014.

He was earlier suspended by the police commissioner after a week of high-profile arrests, but his suspension was later stayed by a court, leading the commissioner to shut down the entire fraud and anti-corruption unit.

Damaru’s lawyer said his client had been given bail and would appear in court to answer the charges.

The latest allegations are again highlighting a glaring division between the police hierarchy and anti-fraud squad officers.

Damaru said immediately after his arrest and three-hour long interview, that the arrest was a “personal vendetta” against him by Police Commissioner Gari Baki.

- PNC sources