Police Commissioner David Manning

Mr Manning made this remark as media professionals in PNG met yesterday to commemorate World Media Freedom Day with a breakfast at the Gateway Hotel in Port Moresby.

May 3 has been proclaimed by the United Nations as Media Freedom Day as a reminder to world governments and the people of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics and to remember journalists who lost their lives.

Commissioner Manning said members of the PNG contingent to the Solomon Islands have acted properly and within the confines of law.

Allegations were raised on social media that PNG Defence Force personnel allegedly forced entry into a home and assaulted a man in the presence of his wife and daughter.

Manning said whilst the police top management has not yet been briefed by the New Ireland Provincial Police Commander, the allegation is worrying and warrants a full and thorough investigation.

“Members of the public must feel safe and protected in police establishments throughout the country and not be subjected to such abuse. We will investigate the allegation and if confirmed, will deal with those responsible both criminally and administratively,” Manning stated.

Manning said the issuance of threats to cause physical harm, kill another person or destroy property is a crime and will be dealt with, regardless of the reasons.

A group of people from Hela threatened to kill Gulf people if their K250,000 compensation demand over the fatal shooting of one of their tribesmen was not met.

The deceased was killed during a police operation in Gulf Province.

The shocking and disturbing video which was posted on the internet shows the adult female sexually assaulting an infant.

Police described the video saying, the 2min 24sec video shows the woman undressing herself before abusing the child.

“This is a sick person who must be found, arrested and locked up. No child is safe around this person,” Commissioner Manning said.

Anyone with any information of the identity of the woman are urged to contact Sergeant Job Eremungo of the Family and Sexual Violence Unit on telephone 76526156.

The incident took place in Pawa-Yamo Village, Kagua District, Southern Highlands province.

“Everyone will be identified and arrested. Even if it means we have to arrest every member of a clan or tribe we will do so. This madness has got to stop. We are in the 21st century and such barbaric actions must be quickly stopped with the full force of the law,” Manning said.

He added that there are no innocent bystanders.

“Everyone who was at the scene and did nothing to stop the tortures are just as guilty as the ones who tortured the women.”

He said that the reserve police recruitment was abused for so long. When he became the Police Commissioner, he stopped the program and designed a revamped process that excludes nepotism, bias and corrupt practices.

Commissioner Manning said to improve the impartiality and perceptions of the integrity of the whole process, critical functions of the recruitment process were outsourced to an independent private company.

Commissioner Manning stated this when providing an administrative update on what the Constabulary is doing to improve its operations during a recent press conference held together with Minister for Police, William Onglo.

“The work on implementing National Gazette No. G279 on the ‘Abolishment of the Department of Police and the Office of the Secretary for the Department of Police’ is progressing. The Governor General has signed the statutory instrument for the Creation of the Police Administration Wing.

Controller Manning was in PNG’s industrial hub following a number of protests by workers over the “No jab, no job” policy.

Mainland Holdings Ltd, Lae International Hotel and students from the PNG University of Technology have taken a stand against the “No jab, no job” policy which has resulted in the forced resignation of ordinary citizens.

“Our existing laws were inadequate and we could not effectively prosecute the case here in PNG to obtain the maximum penalty. We therefore had to send the suspects and the drugs to Australia where the laws were quite strong. The Government is currently taking measures to amend our legislation so that we can effectively deal with such transnational crimes,” Manning said.

He said that the Constabulary is also working to strengthening its processes and systems to effectively detect and prosecute such crimes being committed on PNG soil.