Over 8,827 claims are registered in the Office of the Solicitor General, valuing from an amount of K5,000 in the District Court to K30 million in the National Court of Papua New Guinea.
The Office of the Solicitor General said approximately 3 quarters of the K400 million in claims involve the police.
Following the review of the ‘Claims By and Against the State Act 1996’, Morobe Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Jacob Singura, told his officers that they will now be held personally accountable for their actions.
“Any civil suits, it will have to come out of our own pockets,” he stated. “So displa singaut, em minim olsem, we have to be professional, in the real sense.
“Do your job according to the rule of law. Not beyond. Not uniform and gun and you say, ‘Ah, mi polis ya’. Kam bek blo em, sori, yu yet bai yu kisim.
“That is a fact now so when you do the job, think about the repercussions.”
PPC Singura challenged his officers to refocus and do away with police brutality, the abuse of citizens’ constitutional rights, burning of homes and property destruction.
“Lo em senis,” he said. “That is my emphasis.
“Ino olsem bifo, yu go kukim haus pinis, yu kilim man pinis, yu tromoi na yu tok, ‘Samting blo Steit’. It’s no longer ‘samting blo Steit’. Yu wokim, yu yet bai karim kikbek blo em.”