16 Aug 2005

PNG police brutality cost US$120m in civil claims

4:35 pm on 16 August 2005

The Papua New Guinea police minister says police brutality and abuse has cost the government about 120 million US dollars in civil claims over the past ten years.

This was disclosed by Bire Kimisopa at the opening of a human rights workshop for police in the city of Lae.

Mr Kimisopa has told the newspaper, The National, that incidences of police brutality have increased.

He says it's important the Police Department set up an internal ombudsman commission to scrutinise police conduct.

Esther Gaegameng of PNG's Ombudsman Commission says the Lae workshop is aimed to highlight the rights and responsibilities of police officers, victims of crime, suspected criminals and the general public.