PNG Police boss slams Australian media report on mass murder, rape and corruption

Papua New Guinea  Commissioner of Police Gari Baki has described an Australian media report alleging PNG police were involved in forceful eviction in Butibum as well as extra-judiciary killings as rubbish and a pack of lies.

“This is gutter journalism. It is utterly irresponsible for the Australian media organisation to publish such a report without even verifying these allegations, either from myself or the Momase Divisional Police Command, the Morobe Provincial Police Command or the Lae Metropolitan Command.

“I have read these claims as reported by the Australian media very closely and I am deeply concerned by them. They are totally false. I am aware the Australian Federal Police Mission Commander in Papua New Guinea is also deeply concerned by these false claims. No such event occurred at Butibum village in the Morobe Province. There is no record of it ever happening and no-one has come forward with any complaint about this allegation.

“The photographs published are also not of the alleged shooting and it is a total fabrication.

“I am also aware that the Morobe Province has not received bulldozers from the Australian aid program so that aspect of the claims are also totally false.

“I am aware that the RPNGC in Lae had some concerns about the behaviour of the particular Australian Federal Police Officer who has made these claims. These concerns were conveyed to the Australian Federal Police who promptly moved the officer from Lae to Port Moresby. Shortly afterwards the Australian Federal Police removed the officer from Papua New Guinea after only seven months posting in Lae. I understand he currently has issues with the Australian Federal Police. I am concerned about the mental stability of this officer.

“There is no genocide and the RPNGC is not killing its citizen to defend the current government. To compare the situation here to West Papua is just absurd and shows the lack of understanding the former AFP officer, the Australian journalist and the Australian media organisation have of PNG.

“That being said, I know there are many challenges facing policing in PNG. As Commissioner I will not hide anything. Police brutality will be exposed and corrupt and abusive policemen and women will be arrested and charged. It is in the country’s interest that undisciplined, corrupt and abusive police officers are dealt with and removed from the Constabulary.

“There are police officers who are committed to improving the constabulary and lifting up the standard of policing services to the people of PNG. I am now in Buka in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville where I have gathered all my senior officers to look at how we can strategically position the constabulary to better serve the 8 million people of PNG.

“The RPNGC is working in partnership with a number of organisations to improve its service delivery. Present here at this important and ground-breaking conference are the Department of National Planning, the PNG Australia Law & Justice Partnership, the New Zealand Police, the Australian High Commission, the Australian Federal Police, and the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

“It is our intention to take this Constabulary forward and we are all working together on this. I therefore totally reject the claims that are made in this Australian newspaper,” Commissioner Baki said.