Former PNG Police boss Geoffrey Vaki arrested and charged

By Byan Kramer 

Convicted and former PNG Commissioner of Police Geoffrey Vaki was arrested this morning and detained at Boroko Police Cells by members of the Fraud Squad. They were acting on a bench warrant issued by Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika sitting a as National Court Judge. Salika issued the bench warrant after Vaki failed to appear in court to face charges for perverting the course of justice. Vaki was charged back in June 2014 by members of Fraud Squad after he allegedly interfered with their investigations into the Prime Minister by side-lining Senior Police Lawyer Nicholas Miviri and engaging private Lawyer Paul Mawa to consent to Prime Minister's application to stay (stop) preventing his arrest. The District Court later dismissed the charges against Vaki for lack of evidence. Police then referred the file to the Public Prosecutor who after considering the evidence formed the opinion there was sufficient evidence for Vaki to be committed to stand trial in the National Court. Public Prosecutor exercised his powers to file an officio indictment. It is a special process where Public Prosecutor may after considering the evidence commit a criminal matter directly to the National Court.

At the National Court hearing Vaki failed to make an appearance so the National Court issued a bench warrant for his immediate arrest and be brought before the court to answer to the charges.

Vaki is also currently out on bail pending appeal against his contempt of court conviction and sentence of three years prison after he refused to effect the arrest of the Prime Minister.