Drunken cops taken to task over ‘inhuman acts’

The National
May. 19, 2006

THREE drunken police officers allegedly forced a man to masturbate and later told him to insert his penis through the opening of an empty beer bottle in front of his fellow villagers in Milne Bay province on Tuesday, it was claimed.

Milne Bay Governor Tim Neville said the policemen, apparently drunk, also forced the man’s companion to lick blood of one of the police officers who had a cut on his foot while the other was forced to swallow a stone fish at Boyo village on Woodlark Island.

“The one that swallowed the fish had injured his throat and has not eaten for two days,” Mr Neville claimed in a statement.

The governor told The National yesterday from Alotau the three men had to travel about 300km from the island to report to him about these allegations.

Mr Neville said on Sunday the three drunken police officers went to the island to investigate reports of criminal activities there and found the three villagers harvesting sea cucumbers some distance from their village.

They fired shots in their direction forcing the men to jump off their canoes and swim ashore.

Mr Neville said the officers then brought them back to the village to force the fishermen to commit the alleged inhuman acts.

The officers also confiscated the men’s sea cucumber harvest and sold them, the governor claimed.

Mr Neville said he had requested the provincial police commander to immediately recall these officers and have them investigated.

“If they are found guilty, then they should be dismissed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the police provincial commander Chief Inspector Augustine Wampe could not be contacted because he was attending a workshop in Port Moresby.

NCD/Central and Southern region police Commander Assistant Commissioner Tony Wagambie yesterday denied knowledge of Mr Neville’s allegations.