Manus

Manus police awareness program starts

The awareness is an important part of their policing program in the wards and local level governments, where the provincial police commander and his team visited Koronat Island and Timonai villages.

Police in the province recently created new divisions to deal with sexual offence cases and family and sexual violence and abuse cases.

The visits were used to carry out awareness on sexual offences, including family and sexual violence and abuse as well as general law and order issues such as homebrew production and consumption.

Manus police cells overcrowded

Provincial police commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, is now raising concerns over the number of detainees and remandees in the new police station building.

Currently there are 45 detainees and remandees in the police cells.

Yapu, who spoke to this newsroom, said the new police station has separate holding cells for male, female and juvenile detainees but the 45 is a lot.

“We want to keep a small number of detainees at one time at the cells,” he said.

Sexual abuse escapees surrender

The two suspects who gave themselves up are 27-year-old Oli Egi of Bulihan village, who was charged for rape, and 44-year-old Robber Matthew of Lihai village, who is facing sexual touching charge.

They will be slapped with another charge of escaping lawful custody.

Police allege that Egi was also involved in the attempted rape of two females at ward one on the day he escaped.

He will be questioned over the incident and is expected to be slapped with further charges on top of the initial rape charge he was in CS custody for. 

Remandees on the run in Manus

The remandees aged between 19 and 44 years old were detained for various serious offenses including robbery, murder and rape charges.

Manus Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector, David Yapu said they saw their opportunity to run after they were released to take part in a volley ball competition.

Yapu is now appealing to the public and the community to report any sighting of the escapees to police as some of them are dangerous and can pose a threat to the community

Youth loses hand in sorcery alleged crime

This resulted in the arrest of two others from the same village, who are now in police custody.

The prime suspect, Simon Pokoi (30) of Warambei village, in the Lelemadih Bupi Chupei LLG, was arrested and charged for causing grievous bodily harm.

The victim of the sorcery accusation related violence, Jeffery Pominis, had his left hand chopped off with a bush knife.

Manus provincial police commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, said Pominis was chased and attacked by villagers of Warambei.

Citizen’s arrest applauded

Police in Manus have extended their appreciation to the leaders for bringing in a man who was suspected of attacking another local last week, which caused his death.

Provincial police commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, thanked the five ward councilors of Pere village for applying citizen’sarrest and bringing in a suspect from Patusi village.

Yapu said everyone must take ownership of law and order to make communities free and safe.

Buai trip gone bad

Three men had initially travelled on a 60 horse-powered 23-footer boat from Wewak to Manus.

They left Wewak last Monday with sixty 10kg bags of betelnut however, their boat capsized, leaving them to drift at sea for three days before two of them were rescued last Friday morning.

Manus provincial police commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, said one of them was found floating on the boat by fishermen from Lou Island.

The boat operator, on the other hand, managed to swim to Paia Island, between Lou and Baluan Islands, where he was rescued.

4 arrested over land dispute killing

Manus police arrested and charged Bart Kakap Soongkop (30), Andrew Ohong (52), Andrew Pohak (62) and Peter Paul (19), all from Ndrehet village, and charged them for the murder of 33-year-old Thomas Soongkombek.

It is alleged they attacked the deceased and hit him on his head with a piece of timber, which caused fracture to his brain and caused his death.

Three other men were also arrested and charged with the unlawful wounding of the deceased’s brother, Alphonse Soongkombek.

Police boss issues appeal to refugees at Lombrum

At these camps, they will not miss out on anything, says Commissioner Baki.

“A total of 50 people were peacefully relocated from the Lombrum based Regional Processing Centre to either of the two recently declared immigration centres on Manus Island,” he states.

“Of this number, 36 non-refugees and 13 refugees left voluntarily after being briefed and convinced by PNG Government officials whilst one Kurdish journalist, Behrouz Boochani, was escorted out of the centre by government officials.

Police raid uncovers drug cultivation

James Danny (48), from Solang village, Lou Island, was found guilty for being in possession of dangerous drugs and cultivating dangerous drugs.

Police conducted the raid on November 16 and uprooted marijuana plants in a garden. They also confiscated some drugs in his house.

He now remains in custody at Lorengau, awaiting his sentence.

Manus Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu, said Danny was a threat to the community due to his involvement in drug activities in the community.