Joint Operations Commander

However, a directive issued by the Office of the Chief of Staff this morning has called for the two men employed with the S.O.S security firm to be disengaged from that employment.

The Joint Operations commander, Colonel Esekia Wenzel, says one of the men was on emergency leave en route to Kavieng but was taken in by police as he was in the same airplane that the group of men were on.

The other two defence men, despite being on approved leave, will need to cease employment with the S.O.S security service firm.

The joint operations command anticipates the full contingent to be deployed come June 17.

Joint Operations Commander, Colonel Ezekia Wenzel, says the operations are scheduled to cater for a week ahead of the start of the polling period on June 24^th, and a week after.

This is to ensure that all security aspects are catered to.

Initially, he says the confirmed number of troops on ground for the elections was 500, but adds that the defence will also have an additional 300 troops that will be deployed to support police commands near military establishments.