29 Jul 2014

No go on PNG police reconciliation meeting

5:55 am on 29 July 2014

Papua New Guinea's acting deputy police commissioner, Jim Andrews, says there is no rift in the force and no need for any reconciliation.

Papua New Guinea police officers marching in a parade

Papua New Guinea police officers marching in a parade Photo: Supplied

A reconciliation was planned for Tuesday with suspended assistant commissioner of crimes, Thomas Eluh, saying the parties in a month-long stand off had agreed to get together and sort out their differences.

Don Wiseman reports:

The reconciliation was to include Sam Koim, the chairman of the anti corruption body TaskForce Sweep and Mr Eluh along with commissioner Geoffrey Vaki. He says there has been a lot of misunderstanding circulating, and the two sides have agreed that they need to sit down and find common ground. But Jim Andrews says the suggestion is misleading and Mr Vaki has more important, national issuess to worry about. His comment follow Friday's arrest of the deputy of the police National Fraud Unit, chief inspector Timothy Gitua. He has been charged with three counts of unlawful assault, threatening with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a public place. Mr Gitua was allegedly involved in an incident at a nightclub in Port Moresby more than two weeks ago.