1. NATION
2 The National – Tuesday, April 19, 2016
‘We have evidence of
policemen who have been
charged or suspended
using rogue elements in
the force plus criminals
to cause destruction in
the city. We are watching
them’
– Benjamin Turi
NCD Metropolitan Superintendent
warning suspended police officers
who are involved in criminal activi-
ties in the city
– Page 3
THEY SAID IT
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PNG loses at polls – See Opinion, Page 40
Court stays suspension
Baki closes anti-corruption unit
n From Page 1
He suspended the two officers
for continuing to defy instructions,
failing to control fraud squad offic-
ers and for acting outside normal
and established police practices and
procedures.
Fraud squad officers last week
arrested senior judge Justice Sir
Bernard Sakora over a judicial cor-
ruption allegation, and Attorney-
General Ano Pala who has been
charged with misappropriation and
abuse of office.
Baki said Damaru, Gitua and of-
ficers from the directorate would in
the interim report to the Assistant
Police Commissioner (Crime) “until
this matter is adequately addressed
in the court”.
Baki stressed that the decision
was not to interfere with any in-
vestigations “but to keep members
of the NFACD accountable and to
take orders from the Police Com-
missioner”.
“This action is not in contempt
of court but for administrative pur-
poses only,” he said.
He said he was exercising his
powers as the commissioner under
Section 153 of the Police Force Act
to close the NFACD office.
“I am not doing this to protect an-
yone’s interest. I am duly appointed
as the head of the organisation. And
I am duty bound to make sure that
my men and women carry out in-
vestigations,” he said.
“The process of informing the
commissioner is very important for
every process of high-profile inves-
tigations.”
He said the fraud squad officers
must not be allowed to do things the
way they wanted.
“I must put my foot down,” he
said.
Baki said it would be a sad day if
the courts intervened with the ad-
ministration of the police force.
“My decision has been challenged
in court and we leave it as that. I
have not seen the documents filed in
court and I have not seen and served
with the copy of the court decision
that came out this (yesterday) after-
noon,” he said.
“I will file an application in the
same court to ask that the matter be
set aside so that I can perform my
role as the police commissioner.”
Damaru
welcomes
decision
By CHARLES MOI
THE National Court has granted an
interim order to stay the suspension
of Chief Superintendent Mathew
Damaru as director of the National
Fraud and Anti-Directorate until the
matter returns for hearing on May 9.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki
had suspended Damaru last Friday
for disciplinary reasons.
Justice Allen David issued the
court order after Damaru filed an
urgent ex-parte application through
his lawyer Greg Egan.
David granted the interim order
because there were serious issues to
be determined in the case based on
Damaru’s affidavit and other docu-
ments referred to in Egan’s submis-
sion.
David agreed with Egan’s sub-
missions that the interim orders
would maintain the status quo.
Egan told the court that Damaru’s
suspension notice was dated April
15 and served on Damaru at 9am
the next day in Port Moresby.
Egan said the suspension related
to insubordination which occurred
between March 30 and April 1
where Damaru was alleged to have
wilfully disobeyed the directions of
acting Assistant Commissioner of
Police (Crime) Victor Isouve.
According to Egan, it is alleged
that Damaru failed to provide in-
formation to Isouve on an unsanc-
tioned investigation into the affairs
of the Simbu provincial govern-
ment, an allegation Damaru denied.
Damaru stated in his affidavit that
the allegations against him were ab-
solute nonsense.
Egan said Damaru had been
locked out of the main office in
Konedobu since Saturday and could
not access “sensitive information”.
Isouve, Baki and the State were
named as defendants.
Baki earlier said disciplinary ac-
tions were taken against Damaru
and his deputy Chief Inspector
Timothy Gitua for continuing to
defy instructions, failing to com-
mand and control fraud squad mem-
bers, and for acting outside normal
and established police practices and
procedures. He said Damaru did not
brief him on investigations carried
out by the fraud squad.
Acting Police Commissioner (Operations) Jim Andrews (left) Police Commissioner Gari Baki at the police head-
quarters yesterday. – Nationalpic by CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
CHIEF Superintendent Mathew
Damaru has welcomed the National
Court decision to stay his suspen-
sion as director of the National
Fraud and Anti-Corruption Direc-
torate.
“I was simply doing my job and
serving the interest of this country
according to the rule of law and the
constitution,” Damaru said outside
the National Court in Waigani yes-
terday.
“I am a Papua New Guinean.
I fight for Papua New Guineans.
That’s where my heart is. I am
pleased with this outcome (restrain-
ing order) although this is tempo-
rary. We will fight it in court.
“I have never breached adminis-
trative procedures that I know of.
Most of the things will come out in
the substantive matter and all the
other matters in the National (and)
Supreme Court. So I should not
delve into those issues.”
Damaru said it was an unfor-
tunate situation between him, his
team members and Police Commis-
sioner Gari Baki.
He said he felt intimidated when
he was served his suspension no-
tice on Saturday at his home in Port
Moresby.
“I am not a fugitive on the run.
I’ve got a family. Why should you
(police) come and disturb me at my
home and come and serve me this
suspension notice before my wife
and children?”
Damaru said he would have pre-
ferred to be served the suspension
notice at his office in Konedobu.