PNGDF

Member for South Fly and Deputy Speaker, Aide Ganasi today queried why the recruitment of PNGDF cadets was based in major urban centres and not rolled out to districts and towns across the country.

He likened the process used by the Australians in the colonial and post-colonial days when teams visited districts to conduct recruitment compared to today where recruitment takes place in major centres only.

The 20-year-old, from Chimbu Province, was discovered by PNG Defence Force personnel. She was buried in shallow grave within the training area of the barracks.

Police say she was residing out of the barracks with her parents.

Lae Metropolitan Superintendent Anthony Wagambie Jnr says according to relatives, the young woman was seven months pregnant at the time her death. From the appearance of the body, police suspect that she may have been buried for two or three days.

Acting Director of the Department of Referendum and former vice-president, James Tanis, told the workshop last Wednesday: “I would like to see this committee focus and be creative and more importantly, operate with open doors.

“We have to work together with other stakeholders. I would really discourage this committee from going on a fact finding mission, trying to establish what happened when and where. This can arouse some past anger.

Major Ivan Timo, Major Raphael Yapu and Lieutenant Robin Gaius were promoted to their new roles in the force as Lieutenant Colonels and Lieutenant Commander by the Acting Chief of Staff Colonel Jeremy Ramsden. 

Col Ramsden says promotions such as this are very important because it recognises the individual’s confidence, fairness and long hours of work over a long period of time. It also recognises most importantly and should never forget that support that they get from their partners and wives as individuals to fulfill our obligations and responsibilities.

In total there will be six aircrafts purchased under this contract arrangement at a cost of K8 million over a duration of five years.

The agreement will also see training facilitated by Pacific Aerospace to also cover training of pilots and ground crew for the new acquired planes.

CEO of Pacific Aerospace Damian Camp says the training will take place in Hamilton, New Zealand and will cover basic flight and maintenance requirements of the two types of planes.

During the opening of the reintroduced JSC, PNG Defence Force Commander Brigadier-General Gilbert Toropo said they will need separate funding to operate the JSC.

He said the college is in dire need of financial, logistical and infrastructure support to see the JSC in operations and asked the Government to support them.

"To train the army, police and prison guard commissioned officers will require a separate budget.

"The infrastructure would include the refurbishment of Igam Barracks, which was built during the colonial administration with little transformation."

They were formally charged at 4pm on Dec 31, almost three days after they were disarmed and brought into Port Moresby after two of their co mrades were killed on Tueday Dec 22, in Komo.

They were charged under section 55 of the PNG Defence Force Act for mutiny. Mutiny is an open rebellion against the proper authorities, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers.

This is about the joint investigation into the fatal police killing of 25 year old Nelson Rema and  the apparent wounding of one of their soldiers who was involved in the incident.

PNGDF Chief of Staff, Colonel Mark Goina, would not comment on the issue further,  only adding that his  officers are waiting on the police to set up the meeting.

PNGDF investigators waiting on police

http://www.looppng.com/content/pngdf-investigators-waiting-police

The PNGDF Command says that their investigation terms of reference are set down and the team to probe major cases are ready.

People living with disability prone to sexual abuse

In total 99 personnel took part in the cleanup exercise that was aimed to give back to the community, after the forces had been living in the community for the past 6 months.

The soldiers were sent there to look after the road from Lae to Koroba Kopiago along the Highlands Highway.

At about 5:30am, 49 soldiers along with 50 police officers cleaned up from the Tarangau estate where the military base was located through to the Hagen main market and Hagen CBD.