Police boss denies abuse

PORT MORESBY – Police in Papua New Guinea have rejected reports they were involved in extra-judicial killings and misused Australian aid.

Police Commissioner Gari Baki said the claims are “rubbish and a pack of lies”.

An Australian Federal Police officer – who had been stationed in the provincial city of Lae – alleged the PNG police force committed murder, rape and a host of other crimes.

Speaking under condition of anonymity, the officer told the ABC his reports of the crimes had been ignored by the Australian Government for fear of jeopardising the Manus Island asylum seeker deal.

But Commissioner Baki said the claims – which included an allegation Royal PNG Constabulary officers executed people during the eviction of settlers – are false.

“They are totally false,” Baki said. “No such event occurred at Butibum village in the Morobe Province. There is no record of it ever happening and no-one has come forward with any complaint about this allegation.

“The photographs published are also not of the alleged shooting and it is a total fabrication.”

Baki also rejected claims officers had used Australian-funded earthmoving equipment to undertake the eviction, saying no aid of that type had been given to the PNG province.

“I am also aware that the Morobe Province has not received bulldozers from the Australian aid programme so that aspect of the claims are also totally false,” he said.

A spokesman for the watchdog group, Transparency PNG, Lawrence Stephens, said, while he doesn’t know about this specific case, in the past police officers, moonlighting for private interests, have carried out such actions.

“It is believable that police officers could be engaged by companies with an interest in getting what we call squatters off valuable land, and that happens in many places.”

The AFP has 73 officers in PNG in a so-called advisory capacity.

Baki said the constabulary is working in partnership with the AFP and other organisations to “improve its service delivery”.

“I know there are many challenges facing policing in PNG,” he said.

“As commissioner I will not hide anything. Police brutality will be exposed and corrupt and abusive policemen and women will be arrested and charged.

“It is in the country’s interest that undisciplined, corrupt and abusive police officers are dealt with and removed from the constabulary.”

- ABC/RNZI