Lae metropolitan superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr

Several hours after the killing, the suspect was picked up by Police and detained with charges soon to be laid.

Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr said: “The suspect and deceased are Grade 10 students at Bumayong.”

Police have maintained presence at the school since the occurrence of the incident last Friday at around 10am. They are also providing security during the national Grade 10 examinations, which began on Monday.

Police caught suspects Samuel Ben, aged 17 of Chimbu and Morobe parentage, and Richard Anton, who goes by the street name of Texas, aged 24 years of mixed Central and Morobe.

They were among the escapees in the mass break out at Buimo on Feb 25 this year, where 96 prisoners made a dash for freedom.

On Aug 1, a police task force unit apprehended Ben at the Lae police office for suspicion of vehicle tampering.

He was detained at the Lae Police cells when CID Intelligence Unit Officers went in and confirmed his identity as one of the escapees from Buimo CS. 

According to Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr, there were reports of  causalities from this morning’s fight but has yet to confirm the number of casualties with the Police investigators at the hospital.

The two parties were already preparing a peace reconciliation of which the Sialums had already brought food stuff and cows to precede however, another unfortunate incident instigated the fight to erupt again.

“They must not smoke or chew betelnut when working. They are providing a service which people are paying for and there are rules which they need to follow,” says the police boss.

“Police will conduct awareness on this before we actually go out locking some people up. So much talk and awareness being given to these operators with no adherence to it.

“Public must report these to Police. Get the number plate of the bus, route number, time and place, what happened and alert Police.”

“Now we have come to realise that licenses are being produced outside of the Government mandated Traffic Registry. This is partly to be blamed for the increase in road accidents and careless driving,” says Lae police boss, Anthony Wagambie Jnr.

“This act in itself, of producing fake driver’s licence, may seem trivial to the person/s producing them, but it is much more than that. They are putting so many people’s lives at risk for just K100.”

Wagambie, when commending the AFP personnel said the documents would be used by the Prosecutors in Lae to assist with the conduct of cases in the District Court.

The books provided a ready reference to Case law, Criminal Code Act, and Criminal Procedure Act during trials and hearings and will allow prosecutors to provide qualified and accurate response to questions in court.

Wagambie said the provisions of the book follow on from the introduction of a computerized prosecution management system for the tracking of cases through the courts by the Prosecutors.

According to reports from the Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr, the suspect was granted bail by the Court, but failed to turn up during court dates.

Wagambie Jnr said a Warrant of Arrest was issued by the same court which led to the suspect being apprehended.

“He is now locked up and bail refused,” he adds.

Wagambie Jnr states that while it is the right of every person before the Court to apply for bail, the Courts must also take into consideration the background of each defendant.

This gang was reported to be operating at the back road area.

Lae police say they have been harassing the public as well as committing crimes in the area.

According to witnesses’ reports, Lae police boss Anthony Wagambie Jnr says they have been spotted along the Yanga/ Sipaya Road.

"Police are looking into this and are investigating this to ascertain the circumstances and whereabouts of this gang,” Wagambie Jnr says.

Wagambie Jnr is calling on the Lae public to report any suspicious activities or movements of this group of police impersonators.

This was a result of Lae Traffic police intercepting two drivers’ fake licenses and PMV drivers’ permits.

In a statement, Lae Metropolitan Superintendent, Anthony Wagambie Jnr, said: “Lae Traffic Police and Road Safety officers were conducting random roadblocks, checking drivers' licences, unroadworthy vehicles and registration, when they came across two PMVs, of whom the drivers had a fake licence and permits”.

He says at first glance, the licence looks exactly like the ones being issued by the Traffic Registry.

When police arrived at the burial scene, the infant was found to be buried in a shallow grave outside the hospital next to the residential area close to the roundabout leading to town.

Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr says police is continuing their investigations.

Wagambie is also appealing to the general public with any information to come forward to police so that the person responsible can be held accountable.