By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
Investigation into the killings of six Police men throughout the country has gone cold after no witnesses have come forward, Crimes Assistant Commissioner Hodge Ette says.
“We have hit a brick wall in investigating our own men who got killed since 2017while on active duty. The trail has gone cold. But we will continue investigation once we pick up information. We as an institution owe it to the relatives of the officers to look into the cases and bring closure to the families”.
Mr Ette said that the policemen killed on active duty are Mt Hagen-based Mobile Squad members late First Const Alex Kopa and late Glen Jimmy. They got killed on July 22, 2017 in Wabag, Enga, and the killing of Hela-based public safety officers Const Andy Kotang and David Kundu occurred near Anga River in Southern Highlands at the end of September. Theses killings were during the 2017 national elections”.
“On July 22, both late Kopa and late Jimmy were resting at their motel called My Kids Inn in the Sangurap residential area in Wabag with their colleagues when they decided to go out for a walk.
“As they were walking out, they did not see the two men hiding in a drain opposite the inn. The gunmen opened fire, both officers were gunned down. They were rushed to the hospital but both died on the way. Although both gunmen were killed by the colleagues of late Kopa and late Jimmy who returned fire, we want to find out who funded these gunmen as it was politically motivated.”
Mr Ette said that for late Const Andy Kotang and late David Kundu, “the supporters of one of the SHP regional candidates, after coming back from Hagen, Western Highlands, decided to conduct a roadblock which prevented the police from driving through it, and as a result of that they killed those two police officers,” he explained. That time ballot boxes for SHP candidates were counted in Mt Hagen”.
Mr Ette said that on January 26 2020 a POLICE constable was shot dead in an outbreak of violence in Enga.
Late Police Constable (PC) Timot Kavanamur was clearing illegal miners in Porgera when he was shot dead.
And on (January 14, 2022) a Port Moresby based mobile squad late First Constable Terry Mark was killed in Ambunti District, East Sepik at a logging camp while investigating a domestic violence.
And last month (May 02 2023) late Senior Sergeant Ludwig Dondo, 54, of the police dog unit, was killed at the Air Transport Squadron (ATS) block in Moresby North-East after responding to a report of drug trading. He was hit by an arrow.
Two suspects have been charged but the main suspect escaped to Eastern High Lands Province.
