Basil urged to attend court

By ANTOINETTE POIVI
ACTING Police Commissioner Donald Yamasombi says the arrest of a 41-year-old woman in Australia in relation to a drug bust in Bulolo, Morobe, last year was based on facts the Australian police had on the accused and on their laws.
Yamasombi was responding to a statement by Bulolo MP Sam Basil Junior, calling on the commissioner and police minister to provide an update on the Australian Federal Police (AFP) operation into a drug trafficking operation that used his district as a transit point last year.
Yamasombi said police had arrested eight suspects who were remanded at the Buimo prison.
“While the matter is a subject of court proceedings, the leader (Basil) should attend court or get someone to attend the proceedings to advise him.”
He said one of the suspects was a prominent businessman and a director of the landowner company of the Wafi-Golpu mining project.
“The leader should have some interest in the matter and follow its progress. It is not for police to report to civilians on police duties,” Yamasombi said.
Basil had said he wanted police personnel from Bulolo and the magisterial services to be involved in the investigations. “So that it can help them improve on their work and for them to be alert to curb any transnational crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering,” the Bulolo MP said.
“I will not tolerate gangsters and cartels using Bulolo as their hub to make money. I am also not afraid of getting to the bottom of high-profiled individuals working to prevent the wheels of justice from turning.
“We will find out and publicly shame you and report you to the authorities,” Basil said.
Reports claimed an expatriate businesswoman operating in Lae was believed to be behind the planning and coordination of a drug ring, and she was arrested by the AFP in Brisbane.
The MP said while he welcomed the arrest of the suspect, he was disappointed to read about it in the Australian media more than 10 months later. Reports said police had arrested the suspected traffickers in March last year.
“Bulolo is where one of the largest transnational drug busts in PNG history occurred, and we are in the dark about what is going on,” Basil said.
He said the local investigators needed to include all participants and offices allegedly involved, starting with the pilot and fuel suppliers to the national civil aviation agencies that may have played a part, and businesses and individuals.
“The people of Bulolo are anxious to know what has happened to those caught in PNG and overseas and why and how the district was targeted,” he said.
“While I appreciate that details of the investigation are confidential, my concern is the lack of general updates from our police including the prosecution of the accomplices and the masterminds of the incident, and whether or not these alleged criminals are still using my district to conduct their activities.”
Basil said the lack of information about the drug trade in his district made it difficult to give honest answers and assurances to his people and businesses who did not want to be caught in the middle of transnational crimes.