12 Mar 2012

PNG police defend Injia arrest procedure

1:48 pm on 12 March 2012

Papua New Guinea's police commissioner, Tom Kulunga, has defended the way his officers carried out the arrest of the chief justice, Sir Salamo Injia, last week.

Sir Salamo was stopped by armed police in the middle of the road and taken to a police station for questioning before being charged with trying to pervert the course of justice.

Annell Husband has more:

"The arrest stems from a three year case involving the Chief Justice's alleged re-direction to court coffers of another judge's legacy to his son. The manner of the arrest has sparked an outcry but Commissioner Kulunga, in a statement, justifies it, saying the judiciary had been using stay orders and other means to stall the investigation. He says if the courts are going to frighten police away with Court Orders every time they investigate senior people the force should be decommissioned and the Courts can do that job. Commissioner Kulunga says the Police Department is simply carrying out its constitutional duty in interviewing, arresting and charging the Chief Justice. He calls on Sir Salamo to respect the institutions dealing with him and allow the judicial process to take its full and natural course."