Police call for tougher penalties for alcohol abuse

By TODAGIA KELOLA

NCD Metropolitan Commander, Chief Superintendent Peter Guinness has called on Parliament to review penalties on abuse and dealing in and the consumption of alcohol because it is costing the country hundreds of millions of kina. Chief Supt Guinness says current penalties are very light but the damage to Papua New Guinea demanded that the government come up with heavier penalties. He made the call yesterday when reporting that a number of houses were torched in various parts of the city over the weekend and last week, all of which were connected in one way or another to alcohol consumption.
“There must be stiffer penalties on alcohol, home brew and other illicit drugs and alcohol. Currently the penalty for such offences is a fine of K100 but when you look at the destructions caused by being intoxicated with alcohol, it runs into millions and millions of kina,” Chief Supt Guinness said.
He gave as an example last week’s ethnic clash between the Taris and Pangias in Port Moresby. He said this clash started because of people getting intoxicated with alcohol which had led to the torching of several houses and as a result, innocent people are now suffering from their losses.
The other incident was at the PNG Defence Forde Air Transport Squadron settlement behind Port Moresb’s Jackson airport on Saturday.
Chief Supt Guinness said a person trying to catch a PMV bus was badly assaulted by a group of drunkards for no reason at all.
This resulted in the victim mobilising his relatives who burnt down the tables of innocent market vendors.
The third incident was at the Vadavada settlement in Port Moresby where it was alleged that the son of a soldier was
beaten up by settlers after a drunken brawl.
The son went back to Taurama Barracks and a convoy of soldiers returned and set fire to two houses at the settlement, destroying the personal belongings of the families of both houses.
“While investigations will be carried out, the causes of all these incidents point to alcohol and homebrew drinks, but when you look at the penalties for these offences (of alcohol abuse), they are nowhere near the cost of destructions caused,” Chief Supt Guinness said.