A 36-year old male from Inauabui, Kairuku-Hiri district of Central province was killed in what is said to be another alleged killing by the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) personnel.
Emmanuel Ivanagi was killed on the night of March 28, 2021 and his body was dumped at Tapini turnoff a few minutes’ drive from the Hiritano highway. The killing has caused the disappointed relatives of the deceased to block off Hiritano highway which interrupted the normalcy of PMVs and other motor vehicles travelling from parts of Central and Gulf province through Mekeo in the Kairuku-Hiri electorate.
Central governor Robert Agarobe when visiting the area on Tuesday, April 6 to meet with the relatives and receive their petition was not happy with RPNGC.
Agarobe who attended the previous similar alleged police killing of a young man on Magi Highway expressed disappointment and said the killing of a man in Inauabui village by police is unnecessary and should not happen at all.
“RPNGC under the constitution is here to protect the people.”
Agarobe also called on all head of police in Central to mark all police vehicle in the province as Central Police in the next three months.
“The provincial government will pay for the signage and any unmarked police vehicle in Central with police uniforms on will be seen as imposters of criminal and will be at the mercy of public.”
This was made known in the presence of NCD/Central Command ACP Anthony Wagambie who was also present at Inauabui village.
Moreover Agarobe announced that starting this year Central provincial government will pay for 300 new recruits from the province with grade 12 certificate and in the next three years 60 percent of police personnel will be from Central and 40 percent from other parts of PNG.
“Like other disciplinary force RPNGC needs to be maintained with 25% from each region of the country however we seem to have a very big imbalance with a minority of the police recruit from the Papua region and central for that matter which is a concern,” Agarobe said.
Moreover normalcy was restored and the Hiritano highway has been cleared for the traveling public.
However, the relatives of the deceased have petitioned the government demanding the police responsible must be arrested, charged and dismissed from RPNGC service. Also they want the State to compensate for the deceased a sum of K500, 000 and to take custody of the aging parents of the deceased as he is the eldest that provides for his parents.
Furthermore the villagers demand that every police vehicle that patrols the Hiritano highway to should use government registration vehicle plates with not tinted glass.
Agarobe received the petition and urged his people of Inauabui to work with the police to allow investigations to be carried out until justice is served.
