BY PEARSON KOLO
PUBLIC Motor Vehicle operations along the Highlands Highway are constantly harassed by police who allegedly charge fees exceeding K200 and above.
Such an incident over the weekend left two policemen in Asaro near Goroka in hospital and their gun, a pump action shotgun was taken by PMV drivers and their crew members.
A PMV owner Jim Kuk said the Asaro police who were allegedly under liquor asked asked several PMVs which were coming up from Lae in the night to give them money.
According to Mr Kuk, the PMVs gave the policemen money but asked for more.
“That is when all the PMV drivers and their crew went down and bashed up the policemen after one of them threatened the PMV drivers with a shot gun,” Mr Kuk said.
He said the drivers took a gun from one policeman and took the it all the way to Mt Hagen and filed a formal report with the Mt Hagen police and handed the gun over.
Jim Kuk’s PMV coaster bus was held up by the Asaro police after the incident and locked up but Mr Kuk says he is innocent and is not involved in the previous incident.
“I Am from Jiwaka Province and I have no idea why my bus is being held by the Asaro police,” Mr Kuk said.
Eastern Highlands Provincial Police Commander John Kale confirmed the incident with the police and the PMV drivers and said Mr Kuk’s bus would be released Tuesday.
Another PMV owner Petrus Wani said they were paying K200 or more every day to the police while traveling up and down the Highlands Highway.
“We do not know why we are paying these policemen at the road blocks, especially in Chimbu and Eastern Highlands provinces,” Mr Wani said.
Mr Wani and Mr Kuk jointly said many of the PMV operators had loans with the commercial banks and they were trying and the police were making their business very difficult.
The PMV owners, operating along the Highlands Highway from Mt Hagen to Lae and Madang, said yesterday that there were constant charging of spot fines from police especially in Asaro, Henganofi, Dalau and in Chimbu Province.
The PMV operators have urged the Police Commissioner to look into the matter.
PUBLIC Motor Vehicle operations along the Highlands Highway are constantly harassed by police who allegedly charge fees exceeding K200 and above.
Such an incident over the weekend left two policemen in Asaro near Goroka in hospital and their gun, a pump action shotgun was taken by PMV drivers and their crew members.
A PMV owner Jim Kuk said the Asaro police who were allegedly under liquor asked asked several PMVs which were coming up from Lae in the night to give them money.
According to Mr Kuk, the PMVs gave the policemen money but asked for more.
“That is when all the PMV drivers and their crew went down and bashed up the policemen after one of them threatened the PMV drivers with a shot gun,” Mr Kuk said.
He said the drivers took a gun from one policeman and took the it all the way to Mt Hagen and filed a formal report with the Mt Hagen police and handed the gun over.
Jim Kuk’s PMV coaster bus was held up by the Asaro police after the incident and locked up but Mr Kuk says he is innocent and is not involved in the previous incident.
“I Am from Jiwaka Province and I have no idea why my bus is being held by the Asaro police,” Mr Kuk said.
Eastern Highlands Provincial Police Commander John Kale confirmed the incident with the police and the PMV drivers and said Mr Kuk’s bus would be released Tuesday.
Another PMV owner Petrus Wani said they were paying K200 or more every day to the police while traveling up and down the Highlands Highway.
“We do not know why we are paying these policemen at the road blocks, especially in Chimbu and Eastern Highlands provinces,” Mr Wani said.
Mr Wani and Mr Kuk jointly said many of the PMV operators had loans with the commercial banks and they were trying and the police were making their business very difficult.
The PMV owners, operating along the Highlands Highway from Mt Hagen to Lae and Madang, said yesterday that there were constant charging of spot fines from police especially in Asaro, Henganofi, Dalau and in Chimbu Province.
The PMV operators have urged the Police Commissioner to look into the matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment