PNG police try to arrest Damaru

4:22 pm on 16 June 2016

Police in Papua New Guinea have tried to arrest the director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption directorate, Mathew Damaru.

Mr Damaru's lawyer, McRonald Nale, says Mr Damaru was approached last night by an officer from the police internal affairs division who said the police commissioner, Gary Baki, had ordered his arrest for abuse of office.

Mr Nale says he hopes to meet with his client this afternoon, but the attempt is in relation to the arrest of a Supreme Court judge, Sir Bernard Sakora, on suspicion of judicial corruption in April.

That case was thrown out by the National Court last week.

But the case highlighted a glaring division between the police hierarchy, led by Mr Baki, and Mr Damaru's officers who have been probing a major fraud case implicating the prime minister Peter O'Neill.

Following the arrest, Mr Baki ordered the fraud squad offices closed, but that was overturned by a National Court ruling.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs