MT HAGEN, dubbed as the third city of PNG has deteriorated with huge crater like potholes in the city roads and uncontrolled littering.
There is literally no sign of any provincial authority on the ground to control and fix the worsening look of the city.
Crime rates have also accelerated and residents are in fear of moving around due to no police presence.
The deteriorating roads in Mt Hagen City.
A public servant and long time resident of Mt Hagen, Jack Pobia, said the current stage of the city is totally an eye sore for visitors and the travelling public.
“Mt Hagen is the centre of all the seven highlands provinces and used to be a very safe and conducive place to live back then but has fast become deteriorated with accelerating lawlessness,” Mr Pobia said.
He said one of the main reason is due to the failed LLG election that was declared in the Mt Hagen Urban Rural LLG in 2012.
“The Mt Hagen Urban LLG was the authority that looks after and maintains the affairs of the city but due to the failed LLG election declared by the Electoral Commission in 2012, there is no authority to manage the affairs of the city,” Mr Pobia added.
He also blamed the political leaders of the province for too much political infighting among themselves and failing to address the deteriorating state of the city.
PNG is likely to experience alot of prison breakouts in the near future if the management of the Correctional Institute Services (CIS) and the government fail to adequately run the facilities.
The recent mess breakout at the Bumio prison in Lae, Morobe Province, and the current situation of prisoners detained without food for almost a week at the Baisu prison in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands Province paints a bad image on prison operations throughout the country.
Juvenile detainees at Baisu prison.
Baisu prison commander Timbi Kaugla spoke to News-Link PNG today highlighting challanges faced on daily operations of prison facilities and the lack of support from the CIS management over the years.
Basing his concerns on shortage of food ration at the Baisu prison, Mr Kaugla said the CIS management failed to pay the company contracted to provide food supplies to the prison and therefore the company ceased supplying food since Friday, February 17.
“We managed to provide food supply using our limited prison funds but fell short since Monday up until now.”
He addmited that the prisoners totaling more than 170 were detained without food since Monday.
“We begged the supplier to at least supply some food rations due to the situation we were facing but the supplier refused,” Mr Kaugla added.
Whisky Fresh Limited, the company contacted to supply food to the prison maintained that it won’t supply food until it’s dues are paid.
Managing Director of Whisky Fresh Ltd, Berry Maip, said he could no longer supply food ration to the prison because the CIS owned his company over K1 million.
“I have exhausted my own funds to supply food for the prison without being paid for almost three months now.”
“I cannot go on supplying food because I don’t have adequate funds to continue,”Mr Maip said.
He said the CIS owned him alot and it was their (CIS management) failure which had resulted in the current situation.
He called on the CIS management to address the situation promptly and pay up his dues for him to restore food supply to the prison.
“My daughter, Ruby-Anne Laufa, died in a very violent and suspicious circumstance. I, my families and Ruby-Anne’s friends demand justice for her. It is the duty of the police to assist in our demand for justice.”
Those are the words of the father of former Miss PNG, Late Ruby-Anne Laufa, who tragically died on Saturday, February 11, 2017.
Late Ruby-Anne Laufa (right) and her dad Maurice A Laufa
The actual cause of her death has not been established as yet but police claim she died after jumping out of a moving vehicle allegedly driven by her boyfriend.
However, her father Maurice Andrew Laufa, who is a senior Lawyer and a Lecturer at the School of Law at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) raised concern that the cause of his daughter’s death was yet to be establish.
He blamed the police for failing to investigate the matter promptly to uncover the actual cause of his daughter’s death.
Late Ruby-Anne Laufa
“I express serious concern about the questionable and apparent lack of urgency in police investigation into the tragic death of my daughter,” Mr Laufa said.
He said on the afternoon of Saturday, February 11, the suspect was detained at 4 mile traffic police station for about 4 hours and then released without any charge.
The police then recorded the cause of death as ‘suicide’ in the police occurrence book.
This did not go the well with Mr Laufa, who expressed dismay over the manner in which police was handing the matter.
“To date, 10 days after the tragic death of my daughter, the police have not spoken to any of the witnesses who volunteered their names and details, nor invited them to go to the police station to provide statements.”
“They never contacted me or my other daughter to provide statements concerning the circumstances leading up to the tragic death of my daughter Ruby-Anne.”
“The police have my contact details and know where I reside (UPNG Waigani Campus) but rather have submitted to reaction in their investigation,” a concerned Mr Laufa said in a press-statement.
“I believe that initial information available to police suggest that the circumstances surrounding the tragic death of my daugther is highly suspicious which should prompt any experienced and competent police officer to take proactive steps to conduct further enquiries and investigations into her death. In this case they have elected to wait,” Mr Laufa further stated.
He said as a senior lawyer, he always believed, trusted and confided in the integrity, fairness, honesty and competence of the nation’s criminal justice system – including police criminal investigations.
However, he said his belief, trust and confidence in the criminal justice system – specifically police criminal investigations, was tested in the 10 days since the passing of her beloved daughter.
A young lawyer has alleged that he was physcally assaulted by a member of Parliament.
Lawyer Laken Lepatu claimed that he was confronted and punched on the face by Wabag Open MP Robert Ganim at a bus stop near Wabag Town on Thursday, February 16.
Lawyer Laken Lepatu
Wabag MP Robert Ganim
Lepatu claimed in his social media post that he was carrying out awareness on election in the Highlands to educate the people when he was assaulted by the particular MP.
“MP for Wabag Open Mr. Robert Ganim punched me and I threw him into Wabag Police Cells but the police station commander released him,” Lapatu said in his post.
“I parked my vehicle at Wabag Town (Porgera Bus-Stop) & MP Ganim parked his vehicle opposite me.
“Mr Ganim shouted at me and asked me why I was conducting awareness campaign which I politely replied to him that if he thinks I breached a law(s), we should sort it out at the Police Station,” Lepatu stated.
He said the MP without paying attention, shouted the same words twice, stepped out of his vehicle & ran towards him.
Lepatu further claimed that three of the MP’s boys armed with bush knives followed the MP and confronted him face to face with swearing words and the MP punched him on the face.
“His boys almost murdered me but the public stopped them.
“Ganim and his boys then got into their vehicle fled,” Lepatu stated.
He further stated that he drove to the police station and placed a formal complaint against the MP for police to arrest the MP.
“When I stepped out of the police station, I saw Mr. Ganim parked his vehicle and stepped out.
“I quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him into the police cells and ordered the police officers there to arrest him but the police station commander refused and released the MP,” Lepatu stated.
Lepatu who recently assisted students with free legal assistance and won several cases stammed from the UPNG student and police standoff last year said he will pursue the matter until justice is done.
“I will continue my awareness campaign until I complete Enga. The Constitution provides for freedom of speech, association, thought, beliefs & religion. This is a democratic nation, a free world,” Lepatu stated.
AN application to dismiss fraud charges against former education secretary Dr Michael Tapo was rejected by the Waigani Committal Court yesterday. The National reported that Tapo, 61, from Soheneru village, Lorengau, Manus, allegedly misappropriated a total of K1,208,883.21 between June and December 2012.
Former Education Secretary Michael Tapo
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar said the court rejected the application because the matter was “premature”.
“The only way to dismiss a case is to consider the evidence first,” Bidar said.
He said Tapo’s matter was premature because the court had not considered sufficiency of evidence as yet.
The application was filed by way of notice of motion on July 25 to dismiss Tapo’s charges of 25 counts of dishonest application, one count of official corruption and one count of abuse of office.
The amount of K1,208,883.21 was allegedly paid to the managing director of Yumi Yet Construction Ltd for the purpose of building, maintenance and renovation of classrooms and teachers houses in National Capital District (NCD) schools.
Police allege that to date no services or very poor services were rendered.
Tapo, who was appointed chairman of a working committee that was formed to assist NCD education services on contractor’s outstanding payments, allegedly paid K321, 800.85 on June 2, 2012 and K887, 082.36 on Dec 27, 2012 to Yumi Yet Construction Ltd.
SOME village court magistrates in the country who are not receiving regular salaries want the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government to address their concern.
The issue was raised by village court magistrates in Western Highlands yesterday.
They told The National that the Government, through the department, selected 11 village court officials from 5,000 officials and 1,600 village courts in the country to be on regular salary. They said only seven out of the 11 were on payroll but not the other four.
Local WHP village court magistrates raising their concerns
SOME village court magistrates in the country who are not receiving regular salaries want the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government to address their concern.
The issue was raised by village court magistrates in Western Highlands yesterday.
They said the Government, through the department, selected 11 village court officials from 5,000 officials and 1,600 village courts in the country to be on regular salary. They said only seven out of the 11 were on payroll but not the other four.
Team leader and Biapuri village court magistrate Raphael Owa, from Mt Hagen, said that he and three others, including a female magistrate, were not receiving their regular salary.
He said they had raised concerns for a longtime but nothing seemed to be done.
Provincial and Local Level Government Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Leo Dion has said that all village court magistrates and councillors would be on a regular Government payroll.
Sir Leo said the hard-working people would be properly compensated.
The Government and Sir Leo has announced a total of K38.4 million for the remuneration for the officials.
Owa said they wanted the Government to consider immediate action because with the general election next year, they feared nothing would be done. Team leader and Biapuri village court magistrate Raphael Owa, from Mt Hagen, said that he and three others, including a female magistrate, were not receiving their regular salary.
He said they had raised concerns for a longtime but nothing seemed to be done.
Provincial and Local Level Government Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Leo Dion has said that all village court magistrates and councillors would be on a regular Government payroll.
Sir Leo said the hard-working people would be properly compensated.
The Government and Sir Leo has announced a total of K38.4 million for the remuneration for the officials.
Owa said they wanted the Government to consider immediate action because with the general election next year, they feared nothing would be done.SOME village court magistrates in the country who are not receiving regular salaries want the Department of Provincial and Local Level Government to address their concern.
The issue was raised by village court magistrates in Western Highlands yesterday.
They said the Government, through the department, selected 11 village court officials from 5,000 officials and 1,600 village courts in the country to be on regular salary. They said only seven out of the 11 were on payroll but not the other four.
Team leader and Biapuri village court magistrate Raphael Owa, from Mt Hagen, said that he and three others, including a female magistrate, were not receiving their regular salary.
He said they had raised concerns for a longtime but nothing seemed to be done.
Provincial and Local Level Government Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sir Leo Dion has said that all village court magistrates and councillors would be on a regular Government payroll.
Sir Leo said the hard-working people would be properly compensated.
The Government and Sir Leo has announced a total of K38.4 million for the remuneration for the officials.
Owa said they wanted the Government to consider immediate action because with the general election next year, they feared nothing would be done.
A CHINESE man was arrested for beating up a Papua New Guinean who stole from his shop at Gordon market in Moresby Northeast.
Hens Wu of mainland China was alleged to have injured a Michael Peter Mel for stealing from the Eliseo Wholesale at Gordon on September 26.
He was arrested, charged with grievous bodily harm and released on K500 bail.
Mr Wu made his first court appearance yesterday before the Committal Court at Waigani where he was arraigned and surrendered his passport as a bail condition.
The court heard that Mr Wu denied assaulting Mr Mell.
Instead, he submitted that Mr Mell had been stealing from the shop on four different occasions.
On that day when he tried to steal, the public had apprehended and beat him. In the middle of the chaos, Mr Mel dumped a cup of hot Chinese tea on him, burning his skin.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar told Mr Wu that since it was his first court appearance, the police had three months to investigate and substantiate the allegations against him.
Mr Wu will make his next court appearance in November 17.
POLICE have been sent to Goodenough Island to find armed men who tried to rob people at sea last week in Milne Bay, The National reports.
Provincial police commander Chief Superintendent Joseph Morehari said 12 armed pirates in two dinghies tried to rob the passengers near the Bolubolu station. He did not give any further details.
But sources said the pirates were based at Kilia ward near Bolubolu.
They target people travelling from Bolubolu to the Diodio Catholic church parish, or Ferguson island.
It is believed that two of the men were from Goodenough while the others from elsewhere. Two are reported to be former military officers who were pretending to be security guards for a local MP. “They were pretending to be security guards for the MP and parliament officials when they were at Lawela Primary School on October 1,” a source said.
“But the pirates were there to monitor if the MP had brought money to deliver to the people. They would have robbed the recipients once the MP had left.”
The armed thugs had been terrorising people travelling in boats in waters between Goodenough, Ferguson and the mainland.
FOUR teenagers were told by a judge how they would destroy their lives by going to prison when he suspended their two-year jail term for robbery. The National newspaper today reported that the teenagers had been in custody for more than a year and nine months.
“When you go to jail, you destroy your life especially when you are a young man and still in school,” Waigani National Court judge Justice George Manuhu told Jonny Bare (Chimbu), Lukail Joel (Southern Highlands) and Bonny Mavoko and Jethro Peter (Eastern Highlands) yesterday.
Waigani National and Supreme Court.
Justice Manuhu made the comments when he found them guilty of armed robbery of three women at the Kone Tigers Oval along a shortcut road leading to the Morata bus stop in Port Moresby last year.
“Stealing from others and receiving stolen property is not a good thing and it’s not a good crime as you have discovered. Many of you come to court and show that you are harmless but when you are outside, you become very violent by stealing from others and threatening them with very offensive weapons,” Justice Manuhu said.
He told the four that he hoped they were not pretending in court and it was up to them to be honest to themselves and be good. “The country is fed up of the type of crime all of you have committed and you all should be in harmony with each other. We should have respect of the female population because they are the same as our mothers and sisters.”
Justice Manuhu said he hoped Bare, Joel, Mavoko and Peter were genuine in their allocutus that they had learnt their lessons while in custody.
Justice Manuhu said if it was not genuine, they might appear in court again and he warned them that the penalty would not be the same.
The court sentenced them to two years imprisonment but suspended the sentence because they had served one year, nine months and a week in custody and discharged them.
Bare, Joel, Mavoko and Peter allegedly on Jan 5 last year held up Belinda, Molinda Dongme and Miriam Songa at gunpoint and stole properties including mobile phones, bankcards and K313.
It was also alleged that at the time the offence was committed, Bare was 18 years old and in Grade 8 at the Waigani Primary School, Joel, 16 and in Grade 6 at Morata Primary School, Mavoko, 18, but without formal education and Peter, 16 and Grade 4 at Boreboa Primary School.
POLICE in Jiwaka Province have uprooted a marijuana garden near a primary school, the Post-Courier reports.
Members of the Kudjip based Highway Patrol 4 raided a location next to the Papen Primary School near Kindeng and uprooted the illicit plants.
The Police mobile unit with the marijuana plants they uprooted.
The policemen said it was a disgrace to see marijuana plants growing next to the primary school and exposed to the students.
They appealed to the surrounding people living near all the schools in the area not to cultivate such illegal drags as it would only affect their communities.
The policemen destroyed the marijuana and dump them at the nearby River Tuman
