“I will surrender if you guarantee I will not be killed,” says Eugene Pakailasi, who took over leadership of Papua New Guinea’s Milne Bay gang after Tommy Maeva Baker was killed in 2021.

He proclaimed this to Milne Bay Governor Gordon Wesley who met with the gang allegedly earlier this year in a daring secret meet-and-greet event in the Owen Stanley Range in Milne Bay Province.

The gang leader revealed his reasons for maintaining the gang and requesting police leniency.

Assistant Police Commissioner (Southern region) Clement Dalla in an interview with the PNG Post-Courier confirmed the above picture, saying that it had been taken earlier this year.

“We are aware of these pictures. The Governor has stated that Pakailasi wants to surrender,” Assistant Commissioner Dalla said.

“The Governor must reach out to police and we can work together to facilitate any surrender and work out a possible arrangement of a surrender programme.”

Police said Pakailasi was wanted for a string of robberies within the provincial capital of Alotau with his alleged involvement in various shootouts with police during Baker’s reign.

Elusive gang leader
So far, the gang leader remains elusive as police continue to make calls for the surrender of all members.

According to Governor Wesley, after being contacted by the gang to meet up, he went up to the mountains “alone” and found their camp base where they had a conversation.

“Eugene had strange reasons for keeping the gang alive, some of which involve an agreement with some prominent public figures during previous elections,” Governor Wesley said.

“Eugene said the gang’s agenda remains the same as when the former gang leader Baker was leading before his death.

“He said they were not paid for the work they did for the people in the public office and therefore still hold a grudge,” he added.

Eugene later asked the Governor to inform the police that he was not guilty of all the criminal allegations against him and that he would surrender to clear his name but was afraid of being shot dead.

“I told [the gang] that the only way I could help them was to have them surrender and work with the police in lowering the crime rate in the province,” Governor Wesley said.

Against killings in province
He reiterated that this rare occasion was followed by his efforts to have some of the gang members surrender and also said that he was against killings in the province — whether by the gang or by police.

Governor Wesley said that was the reason why he wanted to work with both the police and the gang to allow justice to be served peacefully.

The Governor claimed: “We have seen about 300 to 400 men and boys surrender their weapons in the past months since the surrender programme started.

“We have also seen about 200 deaths of young men and women who were suspected to be part of the gang in the province this year.

“I told Eugene and his gang that unless they want to be added onto the death toll, they must surrender to police.”

Governor Wesley said he would be sending an in-depth report to the provincial police commander of his conversation with the gang.

He would seek lenience from the Police Commissioner and the Prime Minister on the gang’s behalf to accommodate a peaceful surrender.

Melyne Baroi is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Three alluvial miners were buried alive at Koranga mining area in Papua New Guinea following the earthquake which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale which hit Morobe province on Sunday morning.

The PNG Post-Courier today reports a death toll of seven after the devastation from the quake in the Morobe, Madang and the Highlands region.

The three miners — all from one family — who died were working inside a tunnel at the mine site at Koranga Creek when the earthquake hit the area about 11.30am.

The miners felt the earthquake and made their way out of the tunnel but they were too late and were buried alive.

A small girl who accompanied them to the mine site was sitting outside the tunnel. She felt the earth shaking and ran to the safety of higher ground and alerted the community.

The community went to the disaster area and retrieved the three bodies from beneath the rubble. They took the bodies to their house at Koranga compound.

Wau-Waria police station commander Senior Inspector Leo Kaikas confirmed the death of the family members and said their bodies would be transported by road to Lae to be placed at the Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae.

“The miners should take extra care when engaged in alluvial mining activities near the steep areas along Koranga creek and Mt Kaindi areas,” Kaikas said.

“I’m still carrying out assessment on the extent of the damage around Wau Waria district to confirm the number of people who were affected by the landslip following the earthquake.”

Wau Urban Ward 11 Member Rumie Giribo said arrangements had been made to transport the bodies to Lae to be placed at the morgue at the Angau Memorial Hospital.

Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fresh fighting among candidates’ supporters has left another two dead in Hela’s Margarima in Papua New Guinea’s general election.

This takes the death toll to nine in the province since fighting broke out on July 4 – and nationwide election-related deaths have topped 45.

Cars and trucks were set ablaze and houses razed in Lower Wage on Sunday.

Papua New Guinea Defence Force liaison officer Major Joshua Dorpar said fighting erupted again following the counting of election ballots for Margarima.

According to military sources in Margarima, the situation was still tense.

“Since the last fight two weeks ago, when the death toll was at seven, two more people have been killed, raising the death toll to nine. A couple of people are in hospital.

“Homes have been burnt down, vehicles destroyed, and we are working on restoring peace again, by talking to the of two groups that are fighting,” the sources said.

Lack of forces
Police commander Robin Bore said the fight started during polling on July 4 between incumbent Komo-Margarima MP Mannaseh Makiba’s (Pangu Pati) supporters and Independent Dr Benson Wakinda’s supporters at the Yambraka polling centre.

Bore said he did not have enough security forces to deal with the situation.

“We don’t have enough police manpower on the ground, especially armed/response units to attend to other law and order issues in the province, including the fighting in Margarima,” he said.

“We have one platoon of soldiers and Mobile Squad 12 but they will be concentrating on the counting and providing security for ballot boxes.

“Moreover, 40 regular members of Hela are on the roll over team led by Tari police station commander to provide polling security in nearby Highlands provinces.

“So, after completion of elections in Hela, we will look into those areas that require police help,” he added.

While election-related deaths reached 45 — as compiled by the media — many others went unreported or were unaccounted for.

Rebecca Kuku is a National reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz