Royal PNG Constabulary

Solicitor General Faith Barton said payouts had been made since 1992.

This was revealed during her presentation at the annual Police Commissioners conference in Kimbe, West New Britain Province, yesterday.

On top of this, over 8600 cases of State Litigation are now registered with the Solicitor Generals’ office, of which 19 percent relate to police abuse.

She said due to the rise of public complaints against police, the Office of Solicitor General has formed a dedicated team tasked with the responsibility of attending to these cases.

This was the warning Lae metropolitan superintendent, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, gave to settlers after the police shootout at Five-Mile early Saturday morning.

During the gunfight, a suspect was killed while two others were in critical conditions.

A few hours later, the Lae police boss conducted an awareness at the Five-Mile market.

“I warned the community that they must appeal to the youths to stay away from crime. They were man enough to confront police so they met their fate,” Wagambie Jnr said in a statement.

The head of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s Crimes Division, Assistant Commissioner Victor Isouve, was speaking in regard to statements made by fraud director Matthew Damaru.

During a press conference on Thursday, Damaru questioned the legitimacy of the vetting process.

“The process of initiating the criminal justice process is now encumbered by an unusual vetting committee,” the fraud director told the media.

They will also keep a close watch on the threats purportedly issued by some workers’ union for a nationwide stop work.

Chief of Operations Deputy Police Commissioner Jim Andrews said instructions were issued to all divisional and provincial commanders to ensure all activities emanating from these political developments are closely monitored in the best interest of peace, good order and national security.

Andrews said police will enforce increased patrols and surveillance as a precautionary measure against opportunistic crimes across the nation.

The Bomana Police Training College, together with the Office of High Commission of Human Rights, conducted a workshop funded by AusAID under the Australian High Commission at the police training college in Bomana.

The officers attended this pilot training workshop, which began on Monday and concluded yesterday (Friday).

Representative of the United Nations Population Fund Walter Mendonca Filho says the training is the first of a series that will be carried out.