Papua New Guinea's Acting Deputy Police Commissioner has justified a raid on the fraud unit, saying its head had failed to comply with police orders.
The Deputy Commissioner, Jim Andrews, says the actions taken by Boroko police to arrest fraud detectives were necessary after their director, Mathew Damaru, refused orders for them to be questioned over the assault of a lawyer Sam Bonner.
Mr Andrews says media comments by Mr Damaru on the incident were pathetic and misleading.
But Mr Damaru justified his refusal at a media conference, saying Mr Bonner had resisted arrest and therefore force was used to restrain him.
In response to questions relating to the raid on the fraud office on Tuesday which included road blocks and tyres being shot out, the Commissioner issued a statement saying Mr Bonner complained of serious assault and the arrests were part of normal follow-up.
In July, Mr Bonner was charged with receiving fraudulent payments in relation to the Paraka Lawyers payments scandal.
At that time, the fraud squad rejected rumours that Mr Bonner was arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice for trying to have an arrest warrant for the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill set aside.
Papua New Guinea police officers marching in a parade Photo: Supplied
