Police force plans housing scheme for its retirees

By DYLAN MURRAY and ANTOINETTE POIVI
THE police force plans to set up a housing scheme for personnel who have retired, according to Police Commissioner David Manning.
He made the comment as eight of the 22 families of retired police officers living at the Games Village in Port Moresby were evicted yesterday.
Manning said the force was working with the Government to secure land for the proposed home-ownership scheme for retired officers.
He said finding land was the biggest challenge for them as they also wanted to build new police stations and police training venues.
Alphonse Kurabi, the husband of a retired police officer, said yesterday that they received the one-week eviction notice yesterday.
“There is no grace period,” Kurabi said.
“We have a court order that was issued to us.”
Cathy Perea from Southern Highlands said police officers came around 2pm and removed all her belongings.
“They chopped down all the plants in front and at the back of the house and removed all my cargoes,” she said.
Perea, whose husband Hosea died in 2019, said she was worried about one of her children still in Grade 12.
She has been trying to claim her husband’s deeds (entitlements) before she could take her family home. “I have been told the same thing every time I follow up on my husband’s deeds,” she said.
Retired Chief Inspector Casper Logoson said he was supposed to move out but stayed back when requested by the force to work for two more years.
He was waiting for the letter to confirm his reemployment when he was evicted.
Manning said while the force was committed to delivering the “golden handshake”, it needed to be consistent with the law.