The governor of Papua New Guinea's National Capital District has refused to get involved with a group threatening to shut down a water treatment plant.
The group of Koiari landowners have threatened to close the Eda Ranu plant if they get no response to their petition which follows a recent sorcery-related death of a Koiari in the capital.
They demanded a response from the governor but Mr Parkop says it's a criminal matter that is for the police to deal with.
Mr Parkop says the situation is different from his recent intervention with Koiari landowners who'd sabotaged the city's power and water supplies in April, over what he calls social rather than criminal grievances.
"Yeah it's like a new trend because in other parts of the country people have been doing this and it's not been a practice here in the city. But it's becoming something that seems to be growing all around the country and I'm equally concerned about it. This is why I didn't want the city government to be involved - the perpetrators were motivated purely by allegations of sorcery."
Powes Parkop
