PNG: Case assigned to police to assess

The acting Papua New Guinea police commissioner, Geoffrey Vaki, has announced he has assigned the case involving Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to a team of police officers to investigate further.

Vaki says for the sake of accountability and transparency he has to independently assess and analyse the investigations that were carried out prior to his appointment as acting Commissioner of Police.

Vaki made the comment following the National Court refusal to the stay application on the warrant of arrest on O’Neill.

In a statement, he says he must know if the case had been properly investigated and whether there were any undue influence exerted on the investigation or the investigators.

He also says he needs to be confident that the case is water-tight and can stand up in court.

Vaki says he has issued instructions for the case to be referred to acting Crimes chief superintendent Donald Yomasombie. He has called upon everyone to exercise restraint, apply common sense and allow the police to do its job without any undue influence.