5 Nov 2005

Police will be held accountable over school shootings, vows PNG minister

8:07 am on 5 November 2005

PNG's police minister says it's inexcusable for police to discharge firearms at school children and officers will be held accountable after a fatal shooting at a school this week.

PNG police have promised a full inquiry into the death of one man and the wounding of schoolchildren, by officers who shot at them at a primary school in Enga province on Monday.

Police and teachers each accuse each other of provoking the confrontration.

The Police Minister Bire Kimisopa says the shooting was highly regrettable and officers on the ground had failed to exercise common sense.

Minister Kimisopa said if investigations proved that policemen had been drunk and discharged firearms illegally, then they would be sacked from the force.