AGGRIEVED ENGA CLAN LEADERS SUBMIT PETITION ON KUMUL 23 ACTIONS

PICTURE CAPTION:ACP Joseph Tondop receiving the petition from leaders of Watenge clan of Yambatan tribe.

BY SAMUEL RAITANO

THE leaders of Watenge clan of Yambatan tribe in Tsak Valley, Wapenamanda District of Enga Province, yesterday (Thursday) submitted a petition with demands to the police hierarchy and Enga provincial government for investigations into the killings, injuries and casualties allegedly from Police Tactical Group Kumul -23’s enforcement of Counter Terrorism Act on January 2 this year in a number of villages.

The petition was received by Highlands Region Western End Commander and acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)Joseph Tondop and acting Enga Provincial Police Commander Kelly Sombe at Wapenamanda District Headquarters, after listening to verbal explanation of the content by community leaders led by Councillor Alas Kangual of Alumanda ward 9.

Kangual says the five people who were shot and killed includes two women.

Four young men were in Mt Hagen Provincial Hospital hospital with bullet wounds and three men were taken and kept in police custody at Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, following the surprise arrival of more than twenty vehicles on January 2 at 3am when everyone was fast asleep.

The petition demands the Police hierarchy and Enga Provincial Government for a thorough, independent police investigation into the incident regarding terms of reference for that operation and for the internal Criminal Investigation Division (CID) to facilitate formalities for post mortem for the five dead bodies in Mt Hagen General Hospital.

While maintaining that Watenge clan has never been involved in tribal fights in Wapenamanda, they also question the intelligence report and the manner in which the operation took place with gunfire starting at 3am till 8 am on January 2, were people who woke by surprise and moved around in panic were targeted randomly in the three wards, some taken out from distances as far as 1500 metres (1.5Km).

Cr Kangual on behalf of the three affected council wards also plead for the release of two persons kept in police custody and for them not to be charged under the Counter Terrorism Act as they were innocent, while adding that state must compensate the innocent people and that response to the petition was expected within three working days.

It was also revealed that amongst the killed were village court magistrate Winis Kaki and his primary school teacher wife Margret Kaki, a 75 year old woman leader and former ward Councillor Enakawan Kiponge and two young men Jarnol Taso and Isaac Wia.

In Police custody are three people; a pastor, a primary school headmaster and a villager, while in hospital are four young men between the ages of 18 and 25.

In response ACP Joseph Tondop expressed sympathy and conveyed condolences to the grieving families for the loss of lives, while pointing out that what was done can not be reversed and the best thing for all parties was to ensure such an incident never happens again in Wapenamanda and Enga Province.

Tondop stresses that Police was not their enemy and warns that police will arrive at anyone’s doorsteps whether night or day when there is a reason.

Tondop says as for the unfortunate incident, the joint security forces had acted upon local intel to capture and arrest “persons of interest” under the Counter Terrorism Act, adding those in police custody at Mendi were at liberty to clear themselves in court.

He also gave assurance to the grieving clan that police will assist with post mortem of the deceased and that Enga Police and CID must be allowed access to the incident sites to assess what actually happened so that law enforcement agents can also be held accountable if they were in the wrong.

It is understood that acting Police Commissioner Samson Kua in a press statement on January 2 had stated that two prime suspects were killed in a confrontation and exchange of gunfire.

However the clan leaders deny the account, saying unreasonable and excessive force was applied resulting in innocent people victimized.

Meanwhile, Enga CID is expected to visit the incident site by this weekend to start investigations.