Jurisdiction over US serviceman’s death queried

NCD police have disputed reports that the US Embassy has been in contact and cooperating with them in terms of the circumstances surrounding the death of a US serviceman last week.

The NCD Metropolitan police commander, Perou N'Dranou, said since the death last Thursday, no information has been forthcoming from the embassy to assist police in their investigations.

He says given that the death occurred on PNG soil, the jurisdiction would fall to the local police to investigate.

When asked, he clarified that even if there was some sort of a military agreement in place to deal with foreign forces, his personnel needed to be briefed. N'Dranou argues that no information has been released by the embassy to police as such, he and his command cannot investigate the matter.

To date, while the embassy has come out in the media confirming the death, N'Dranou says his investigators have nothing to go by. No official word has come in as yet to police about the particulars of the death.

(NCD Metropolitan police commander, Perou N'Dranou)

Author: 
Julianna Waeda