Komo Airfield not ransacked but PNGDF sleeping Quarters : Police

The Provincial Police Commander for Hela Province Chief Inspector Michael Welly has confirmed today and clarified that the Komo Airfield was not ransacked, rather, the locals ransacked the sleeping quarters that PNGDF soldiers were residing in to look after the LNG operations in the area.

Chief Inspector Welly says that the sleeping quarters were left unoccupied and vacant when all PNGDF soldiers were court marshaled and recalled to Port Moresby following the death of two soldiers in the area recently.

"The locals seeing the opportunity, took advantage of the situation and ransacked the sleeping quarters walking away with bar fridges, mattresses and other valuable furniture on Friday and Saturday night last week," PPC Welly said.

"Locals in the Komo Airfield area have blamed Hides Security Services (HSS) assigned to guard the sleeping quarters in the airfield for looting the sleeping quarters left alone by PNGDF soldiers."

"On Sunday when the police went up to Komo to meet with the landowners and community in the area regarding the looting, the locals pointed fingers to the HSS saying that the security guards of the firm were the ones that did the looting and stole from the sleeping quarters," said PPC Welly.

However, PPC Welly and his men managed to diffuse the situation from worsening and will be doing their own investigation into the matter with the help of the community, but in the meantime he confirmed that the situation has quietened down.

PNGFM /PNG Today