Relatives demand massive K50m compensation payment

THE relatives of a slain teacher in Barola, Eastern Highlands Province have demanded a massive K50 miliion in compensation payment from the National and Western Highlands provincial governments. They also do not want Western Highlanders to operate PMVs along their portion of the Highlands Highway.

The demands were made in a petition to all the province’s MPs led by Governor Julie Soso and Police Minister Robert Atiyafa, Deputy Police Commissioner Jim Andrews, Highlands division commander Teddy Tei and provincial police chief John Kale in Kainantu on Friday. The highway was cleared for vehicles to pass through as of Friday, except for those owned by Western Highlanders.

The highway was closed for a week after a teacher from Barola was tortured and killed in a PMV owned by Western Highlanders following the robbing of the bus by thugs in Kainantu the previous Friday.

Trucking firms lost millions of kina while the price of betelnut in the region sky-rocketed, triggering some entrepreneurs to transport it by plane while others resorted to four-wheel drive vehicles through the Bundi-Gembolg road as a result of the roadblock.

Highlands police commander Tei said yesterday his men were in contact with driver and crew of the bus on which the teacher was killed. "They will surrender themselves anytime this week. Obviously they fear for their lives so we’ll send our men from Mt Hagen to go down to Lae and bring them in," Tei said.

Morobe Governor Kelly Naru visited Barola on Thursday and gave the mourning relatives K10,000 and appealed for the road to be opened.

A large crowd gathered in Kainantu and their leaders raised concerns on the manner PMV operators from Western Highlands Province were killing by standers at random.

They said to prevent further deaths, it was good Western Highlanders did not operate the highway.

More than 90 per cent of PMV buses operating along the Highway, including Madang and Lae are owned by Western Highlanders.

Mr Tei called on PMV owners in Western Highlands not to make any attempt to pass through Barola.

PNG Today/Post Courier