Morobe province

It was alleged that on August 22^nd, 2022, the defendants broke into the late MP’s house at Mumeng Station, Bulolo district, and stole K840,000 in cash and other personal items. Police recovered only K41,940.

The defendants are:

Frustrations have mounted after a delegation from the Health Department visited the health facility in Menyamya last week and advised that it will be closed as the work environment is not conducive, the infrastructure and staff houses are falling apart, the meagre supply of medical tools are rusty or worn out, and there is no electricity or proper running water.

Community health worker, Pauline Gaigami, lamented that from the annual K10 million district services improvement program funds, K2 million was supposed to be for the health sector.

The cattle are from Sialum, in the Tewai-Siassi district, and Erap, Huon Gulf district. They were supposed to leave for Launakalana, in Central Province, last week. 

However, the trip was delayed due to bad weather.

On Friday, August 11th, 54 steers, cows and heifers were loaded from Sialum onto a barge bound for Voco Point in Lae. Bad weather slowed the trip down, with the Sialum cattle arriving at Voco Point on Monday morning.

Late in July, a man was allegedly killed following a disagreement over landowner identification, believed to be related to a major hydro project at Burum local level government.

Burum LLG president, Philip Polly, said the incident occurred at Serembeng village.

“Gagidu police went and arrested 40 suspects and took them to Gagidu,” said Polly. “While they were still processing the suspects, the family of the deceased got on three vehicles from Lae, went to the village and torched the houses.

Lae city is moving forward in terms of infrastructural development, economic growth and quality service delivery under the leadership of Lae MP and Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso.

Rosso outlined that ambulance services, rubbish bins, street lights and classrooms all cost money and are provided for the benefit of people living in Lae.

Morobe rural police commander, Superintendent David Warap, said when a Mobile Squad 13 section went to Gumia village to contain the situation, there was no one present as people had fled their homes following the July 12^th confrontation between the gang and a resistant group.

During that time, a member of the suspected cult group was beheaded while another man from the resistant group was killed.

Lae MP and Deputy Prime Minister, John Rosso, emphasised on the importance of the emergency medical response service provided to Lae residents.

This is why since the signing of a three-way agreement between SJA, the Lae City Authority and Morobe Provincial Health Authority in December 2020, LCA has been supporting the ambulance service with K500,000 every year.

“Because of this partnership, the Lae City Authority, every year, supports St John with half-a-million-Kina to partner with St John to ensure that we provide this vital service to the citizens of Lae,” said Rosso.

Police are working with locals to pinpoint the location of the four. 

The abduction follows a police report of a confrontation between the cult group – which was believed to be operating in the village of Gumia since March this year – and a resistance group.

Morobe police reported that during the confrontation on July 12th, a member each from the two groups was killed. 

Villagers from Gumia have scattered and are living in fear of a retaliation from the cult group as one of their members was beheaded during the confrontation. 

Morobe, being the largest province in PNG in terms of landmass, also contains many of the high biodiversity sites proposed for resource management.

With funding support from the Rainforest Trust Foundation, the Morobe Provincial Government is collaborating with the Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program to conduct a rapid feasibility project to identify conservation areas.

Climate Change Officer within the Morobe Provincial Administration, Arthur Forepe, said this has been an ongoing activity since the first conservation project was started at YUS LLG in Kabwum district.

Their family has been having land issues with the family of the senior police officer in question, who is from Central Province but married to a Butibam woman.

While the matter is being dealt with at the village level, Raynald was allegedly unlawfully detained for over six hours on Sunday, July 16th, at the Top Town police holding cell.

“I wanted to get my bail receipt,” said Raynald. “He brought the police to my home at Buala, Butibam, on Sunday. I told them, I did nothing wrong. Our land mediation is still underway.