Caption: Governor Powes Parkop (R) and Betelnut Ban Controller and Deputy City manager Honk Kiap.
By MATTHEW VARI
Sunday, February 1, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)
GOVERNOR for NCD Powes Parkop has reiterated that betelnut ban has never been enforced in the Motu-Koita villages in and around the city.
His comments come amidst speculation that last week’s shooting that killed 2 men from Hanuabada village and injured other were a result of the enforcement of the betelnut ban.
He also raised points regarding the involvement of the city authority’s reserve police unit’s involvement in the lead-up to the incident, which is currently being investigated.
“In as far as what I know transpired on Friday (January 23) - since there is some speculation that it is connected to the buai ban- since we declared the ban in October 2013, we have not enforced it in the Motu-Koitabuan villages,” Mr Parkop said.
“Everybody knows this and they know this themselves- the reserve police do not operate there and also the rangers do not and we have not shut down the buai markets in the villages.”
“Up to now you drive up to Baruni you will see them selling betelnut on the roadside without any interference of our enforcers.”
He said the reason being that the commission respected the people and the leadership in the village through the autonomous Motu-Koita assembly.
“We left it to them to decide for them if they wanted to come on board with us regarding the ban, but the only issue with this is that the villages have become a hub for the smuggling of the nut, trying to beat the buai ban,” Governor Parkop said.
“What we have been informed from our command in the reserve police is that the reserve police were requested by the local people not to shut down the market there but to clear it because it was encroaching on to the street.”
“It became too big that it was affecting the movement to the village and probably creating a safety situation as well.”
He added that 90 percent of the vendors out there were not local people but outsiders that go everyday to there to trade.
“It has become a problem for the villagers, I have been asked so many time to intervene in the villages but I have resisted,” he said.
He said he wanted to make it clear that their intensions in the situation and added that if the reserve unit was at fault those responsible would face justice and the commission would pay reasonable compensation to the victims.
“We have cooperated on our part to assist with the funeral expenses doing our part to address the grievances of our people in Hanuabada,” Parkop said.
“I want to assure them on my part as governor and the overall superintendent of NCDC our reserve police will cooperate with the regular police with any investigation and come to the core of responsibility and the normal cause of justice will take its course.”
“If it is the case that our reserve police are responsible for the killing I want to give the assurance to the relatives and the parents that the normal course of prosecution will take its place and we will pay reasonable compensation that is fair if we are found to be in the wrong.”
He said that their assistance with funeral expenses of the two victims that died were made without any admittance of liability and wrongdoing on their part.
“We are doing it in order to address the grievances of our people and assist them recover from a horrible experience that should not befall our people there.”
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