My place destroyed: MP

By GEORGINA KOREI
OPPOSITION Leader Belden Namah claims his property in Vanimo, West Sepik was raided and destroyed by local police yesterday.
He said he allowed the people to use the vacant land at West Deco as a market area.
“As a member for Vanimo, I voluntarily gave the vacant land for the people to use for marketing,” he said.
The action by the policemen, Namah said, was blatantly wrong and the manner in which they had undertaken the eviction was criminal in nature.
“There was no court order or any order from any authority authorising the presence of police on my property and for them to carry out any criminal act,” he said.
Vanimo urban local level government Ward 3 councillor Jeffery Hamps said policemen drove in two vehicles and destroyed all the tables belonging to the street vendors.
“They chopped down all the trees and burnt down all the market stalls belonging to the street vendors who do their marketing there.”
Namah said that there were no court orders to stop the market and policemen were issuing verbal threats.
“On Monday, the policemen were verbally threatening the street vendors to stop them from doing their sales and marketing on that piece of land,” he said
Assistant Commissioner of Police, border command, Peter Philip said the actions by the policemen were unlawful and they would face the full force of the law.
“I have directed the West Sepik provincial police commander to arrest the policemen who were involved and I will deal with them,” he said.
Philip added that identities of two of the policemen involved were known.
“Further investigations will be carried out to identify the other four policemen and they will be charged accordingly as per my directives to PPC West Sepik,” he said.
“The unlawful actions by policemen under border command should stop or I will not hesitate to terminate them from duty without pay.”