Pang charged with rape

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
SANCTUARY Hotel operations manager Jamie Pang was arrested and charged with raping a young woman, Police Commissioner David Manning says.
He said Pang, an Australian, was taken to the Boroko police station for questioning by the sexual offences squad at about 10am yesterday.
Pang’s arrest and charge come after a video surfaced on social media of a young woman being threatened by a former policeman.
The National Capital District police then appealed to the woman via Facebook to contact the police to help in investigations.
The woman responded and turned up to lodge a police report after she was guaranteed safety by the police.
Pang’s brush with the law has been deepening after a joint police-immigration team led by Assistant Commissioner (Special Operations) Donald Yamasombi raided the hotel on Dec 16 and seized an assortment of firearms and ammunition, methamphetamine (meth) and dismantled a mini drug processing laboratory.
Pang then pleaded guilty to 11 charges under the Firearms Act in the Boroko district court and was fined K130,000.
He was, however, freed of drug charges by the Boroko district court because meth was not described as a dangerous drug under the Dangerous Drug Act.
Magistrate Garry Unjo said Pang could not be penalised for something not prescribed by law.
Pang was then taken into custody by the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) for breaching immigration laws.
While in custody and fighting for bail, the video appeared on social media which led to his predicament now.
The former policeman, First Constable Komeng Gubag, who was terminated recently for allegedly discharging a firearm unlawfully was charged again on Tuesday while on remand.
NCD/Central commander Assistant Commissioner Anthony Wagambi Jr said Gubag was taken to Boroko police station from Bomana Prison where he was arrested by the internal investigations unit for allegedly threatening and unlawfully discharging a firearm.
“Gubag was arrested a second time through video evidence showing him discharging a firearm as a threat to a young woman,” Wagambi said.
“Investigations have identified and confirmed from the victim’s statement that Gubag was the person threatening the young woman in the video that went viral on social media,” he added.
He said investigations were continuing and anyone who interfered with the woman or her family with any form of threat or intimidation would be dealt with by the police.
“She is being attended to by specially assigned investigators and her security (and safety) is guaranteed,” he added.
Pang was brought to the Boroko police station lockup where he was booked and his particulars were recorded before he was sent back to the Bomana Immigration Centre. Police Minister William Onglo said expatriates had to respect the law of the country.
“Regardless of what they (expatriates) are doing in the country, the law has to be abided by and respected.”
“We welcome all who wish to do business in Papua New Guinea, but we have our laws and those laws need to be adhered to,” Onglo said.
Meanwhile, chief migration officer Stanis Hulahau said Pang’s visa “is specifically for work and not to be engaged in producing drugs or in possession of illegal weapons and ammunition”.