Bryan Kramer

The Defence Force Personnel will be deployed over the weekend increasing the current manpower on the ground.

Police Minister Bryan Kramer announced this today in an update on the Governments COVID-219 Response.

The move has impacted essential services, and led to three ships carrying critical cargo, like fuel, being turned away at the Madang port.

Minister for Police Bryan Kramer said in today’s COVID-19 media briefing that the Marape-led government is only focused on closing provincial borders.

The security personnel were not able to reach the Governor for Madang to issue a letter regarding the impact of his government’s decision, instead they gave it to the Provincial Administration.

This was announced by Police Minister, Bryan Kramer, today.

The Tests were conducted by the Institute of Medical Research in Goroka and returned today.

“Those tests have returned negative. So, the 15 persons that were in direct contact with the index patient that travelled with him from Bulolo up to the (Hidden Valley) mine site, the tests have returned this morning and confirmed to be all negative. Not immediate, not positive, but negative.

Police Minister, Bryan Kramer, made the announcement this afternoon in an update to the current efforts undertaken by the Government.

Minister Kramer said tests are being done by the Rapid Response Team on suspected symptoms of COVID-19 in Port Moresby and other centres around the country.

Kramer said the Rapid Response Team that went up to Hidden Valley Mine in Morobe Province and have conducted sampling testing of the 15 people who came into contact with the first case of COVID-19, and were subsequently isolated and monitored.

Police Minister Bryan Kramer made this call during the announcement of a strategic joint task force team to monitor the coronavirus pandemic.

Unconfirmed information being spread on social media on Wednesday, the 18^th of March, saw hysterical citizens rush into shops and buy stocks in bulk, leaving empty shelves in their wake.

Known as panic buying, this situation could have been avoided if Papua New Guineans had been responsible as well as critical.

This was announced in a joint media conference yesterday attended by Police Minister Bryan Kramer, Health Minister Jelta Wong, the Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Paison Dakulala, Police Commissioner David Manning, head of St John’s Ambulance Services, Matthew Cannon, and other government officials, including the PNG Fire Service.

Police Minister Kramer also confirmed at the media conference that there is no case of the COVID-19 in PNG as yet. However, he said rather than wait for a case to arise, a rapid response team will be set up to respond in real time in the communities.

Kramer said he was informed of the impending raid during his last visit to Porgera and strongly advised against it given the lack of protective gear and training.

He said when he learnt of the death of the police officer he was upset.

Minister Kramer was responding to questions by NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, on the proliferation of guns in tribal communities in rural PNG.

During questions without notice, the Madang Governor asked the Attorney General and Deputy Prime Minister, Davis Steven, to clarify police operations regarding election petitions, claiming he was “confronted” by police personnel on two separate occasions.

“I was confronted by policemen, mobile squad, at the Jackson’s airport with my family for a very minor issue – election petition. I had an election petition filed against me and I won the case,” said Yama.

In his letter to the acting Police Commissioner, dated November 11^th, Chief Sir Gibbs Salika said his complaint is against Kramer’s post on Facebook relating to his role in referring a matter for Justice Nicholas Miviri to deal with “in relation to an application for interim stay of a warrant of arrest by the Waigani District Court to arrest” Peter O’Neill.

“His article on the Facebook page is inciting trouble or tending to cause trouble or ill-feeling among people,” wrote the Chief Justice.

In a statement released today, former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said the complaint, filed today with the Royal PNG Constabulary Metropolitan Superintendent, seeks a full criminal investigation into the actions of Kramer on allegations of forging an official police warrant.

O’Neill said this is chargeable under Official Corruption Section 87 of the Criminal Code Act and Forgery under Section 462 Criminal Code Act, and further for defamation under Section 21 (2) of the Cyber Crime Code Act.