Ben Turi

Here is a list of witnesses who need to contact NCD metropolitan superintendent Ben Turi as soon as possible:

Buka

1. Sumina Auwogi
2. Rose Kamuai
3. Thomas Kavia
4. Kumaso Hakaga Salome
5. Delphine Mugagai
6. Mathew Tonoin
7. Joseph Kikira
8. James Kondes

Rabaul

1. Gilbert Auka
2. Wali Alphonse
3. Morisen Wenu
4. Michael Mirilan
5. Marius Joseph Jnr
6. Peter Pogoson

Kimbe

Residents in NCD are urged to observe roads blocks and vehicles checks when asked to pull over.

Metropolitan Superintendent Ben Turi confirmed this last week when the operations started and will be moving into Phase Two with the issuing of writs next week.

City residents are to note that during this Easter period as well, NCD police have started putting up roadblocks during the evenings at busy intersections and roundabouts around the city.

Police in the suburbs will be out and about on night patrols in the city to keep the city safe.

Loop PNG caught up with the two injured bystanders, Rodney Mes and Augusta Bigade, while they were being treated at the Port Moresby General Hospital Emergency ward.

Mes said he and his young daughter were trying to get on a bus 4 when the shooting occurred, while Begade was trying to walk towards a shop adjacent to the bus stop when she was hit.

Mes was injured on his left hand while Bigade suffered wounds on her right cheek and right back area.

Both are still nursing their wounds at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Metropolitan Superintendent Ben Turi says phase one of the pre-election operation has already begun in the Nation’s Capital.

“The city residents will note that National Capital District police have started putting up roadblocks during the evenings and in the nights at busy intersections and roundabouts around the city.”

 He adds that Police station commanders and section heads will also be conducting awareness at the same time,” he said.

He said police in the suburbs would be out and about on night patrols in the city to keep the city safe.

Commander for NCD/ Central police, Sylvester Kalaut, told the frustrated families this morning after they had barricaded the police barracks gate since 4am, stopping police vehicles from refilling at the police fuel pump.

“Since the General Election is approaching us, the policemen cannot sit back and watch their families suffer like this,” Kalaut says.

He said they were told that funding was from the government and not the Police department; it was beyond the control of the police management and hierarchy.

This was the response from the Boroko Fire Station Commander, Superintendent Leo Ovia.

Superintendent Ovia said all fire service units in Port Moresby were called in on Thursday evening to subdue the fire and they had made sure the building was fire free before they dispersed from the scene.

He said fire service contained the fire on Thursday until the other units departed at 10pm in the night, followed by the Waigani fire trucks.

The line of shops were razed to the ground last Friday, following a fire that started last Thursday evening in the Gutpla Kaikai Kaibar.

The Fire Service had managed to put the fire out by nightfall but it later reignited in the early hours of Friday morning, this time taking down the adjoining shops.

Papindo supermarket, Johnson's Pharmacy, Dr. Jacobi Private Clinic and a bottle shop went up in flames on Friday.

Opportunists did not waste time in taking advantage of the situation, breaking into shops and running out with items.

Most of the houses have had their doors broken into, windows smashed, wirings to the metre boxes removed, kitchen and laundry sinks removed as well as the toilet pots.

“Some houses also have graffiti all over the walls and power sockets damaged,” NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Benjamin Turi, told Loop PNG.

He believes this is a wasted investment which will only cost more to repair the damages.

Turi had spoken to the contractors about the holdup of the relocation but was told they were still awaiting Government response on their payments.

Police will be monitoring the election period with a boost in manpower to make sure that candidates including city residents abide by the law.

A list of guidelines has been put together for candidates who will be contesting the elections to avoid any nuisance or intolerable behaviour.

NCD Metropolitan Superintendent, Ben Turi says police will discourage early campaigning, campaigning in residential areas at odd hours and bribery in the form of cash or kind will not be tolerated.

NCD metropolitan superintendent, Ben Turi, highlighted the need for police internal affairs to be more vigilant in the charging and dispensing of disciplinary actions.

He says even though many police officers have been charged for ill-discipline, results are rarely seen.

“Since 2015 and early 2016, we charged people but we haven’t seen the result of these charges.

“We charge people from Boroko, the charges are brought down to Badili and they go through the charges then make a decision based on the charges.”