The family of a Papua New Guinea police constable, killed in an ambush last month, has blocked a section of the Highlands Highway in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province, demanding justice for his death.

Constable Harry Gorano succumbed to his injuries in intensive care two weeks ago after spending three weeks in a coma.

He was attacked alongside colleagues in the Southern Highlands in January, during which fellow officer Constable Noel Biape was fatally shot.

Gorano’s relatives, frustrated by the lack of arrests in the case, staged the roadblock early today, halting traffic on a key transit route.

They have repeatedly called for authorities to arrest those responsible for the ambush.

Additional personnel have been deployed to Goroka to assist local officers in managing tensions.

Forces in neighboring regions have also been placed on standby amid concerns that the protest could spark broader unrest.

The incident highlights the ongoing risks faced by PNG’s police force.

Since 2017, more than 20 officers have been killed in the line of duty, with many perpetrators still at large.

Investigations into Constable Gorano’s death remain ongoing.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Family of late constable urges authorities to fast-track investigation

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has sent his condolences to the family of the policeman killed in Hela province.

He called on the suspects to surrender and for witnesses to assist police with their investigation into the killing of Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda.

“I call upon all persons with information to come out. Arrests must be made to the criminals and the full story behind the officer going missing and [being] killed be established,” Marape said.

“My sympathies to the wife, children, relatives and rest of the members of the Royal PNG Constabulary.

“We will assist police to bring the criminals to justice. Going forward we will amend laws to bring higher penalties to those who offend [against] police personnel.”

Marape condemned the actions of the criminals.

“If police personnel are not respected, this is not good and police personnel must be given full respect and appreciation by the community.

Drove out by himself
For Hela’s case where the officer drove out by himself without letting his colleagues know and to be found dead a few days later, this demanded a full investigation from police, Marape said.

“I appreciate the Hela provincial government led by Governor Undialu who assisted police with the investigation and location of vehicle and now the body .”

Hela Governor Philip Undialu and Koroba-Kopiago MP William Bando also expressed their sympathies to the family of the dead policeman.

Undialu said:“Hela people and the Hela provincial government are also in grief and share our deepest condolences for this gruesome killing.

“We condemn this animalistic behaviour in the strongest terms possible and appeal to police to come hard on those responsible.

“We have assisted so far and are committed to support the repatriation of the body back to the family and fulfill customary obligation.

‘State of shock’
“We are also committed to ensure that those responsible are captured and face the law.

“The Police Commissioner [David Manning] in his press statement acknowledged our support so far and I assure the family and police force that we are with you in this time of sorrow, grief and state of shock.

“The police located the vehicle but communities identified the culprits and retrieved the body. Hela people will hold a haus krai in Tari and will hand over the body to the family.”

Bando strongly condemned the act and called for an investigation to be carried out to establish the cause and reason for the murder.

He said it was sad losing a life but not all Hela was “at war”, nor were they all responsible for the killing.

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Local government officials in Papua New Guinea have offered a cash reward for information after the body of policeman Senior Constable Nelson Kalimda — whose body went missing in Tari, Hela — was found yesterday in Margarima.

The body of Papua New Guinean policeman Constable Nelson Kalimda — who went missing in Tari, Hela — was found yesterday in Margarima after the provincial government put up a cash reward.

Provincial police commander Robin Bore confirmed that the body had been found at the Andapali River in Margarima, near the Margarima-Kandep road.

“We have brought late Kalimda’s body back to Tari,” Commander Bore said.

Police Commissioner David Manning last night said that for those who wore the police uniform this was a personal loss.

“This is someone who has a family, who has served with us, below us or above us. He was one of us,” he said.

“We swore an oath to serve and we will continue to serve despite this loss

‘Our profession has risks’
“Ours is a profession that comes with risks.”

Manning said investigations were being led by some of the most capable officers in the PNG police force to bring swift justice on those involved in the death of Kalimda.

“I issue them a clear warning to anyone involved with Senior Constable Kalimda’s death to not resist arrest when police catch up with them.

“If these suspects threaten police with weapons, our police personnel have full authority to escalate the use of force and to use all appropriate means necessary to take control of the situation.

“Police have made two arrests so far and there are four other persons of interest that are the subject of an ongoing search.”

Kalimda was part of a team that escorted exam papers into Tari and he went missing on October 20.

He was last seen driving out of a guest house in Tari. His car was found last Thursday, a week after he was first reported missing, in a deserted area at the Komo-Hulia district, near Ambua.

Police assisted with fuel
Governor Philip Undialu said the provincial government assisted police with fuel and funding in the search for Kalimda.

Undialu said a suspect from the area had confessed to killing Kalimda in a phone conversation and said that he had thrown Kalimda’s body into the Andapali River.

He said that after the provincial government received the information, a reward was offered for the community to assist police and the PNG Defence Force to find Kalimda’s body.

“The body was recovered just this afternoon [Sunday] by a group of youths, and we will pay them a reward.”

Undialu also called on the suspect, whose identity is known, to surrender to police and appealed to the community to help bring in the suspect.

Rebecca Kuku is a journalist for The National newspaper. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz