A MAN is dead and three left wounded after their attempt to hold up an Asian man and his PNG wife failed at the Koki Fish Market in Port Moresby on Tuesday at about 3.30pm.
National Capital District Metropolitan Chief Superintendent Perou N’Dranou said the four suspects allegedly approached the Chinese man while he was sitting inside his vehicle waiting for his wife who had gone into the market to buy fresh fish. Two of the suspects walked over to him, and the other pointed a homemade gun at the Chinese man’s temple and ordered him to get out of the car. The other suspect opened the passenger’s door and pointed another homemade gun at the man.
A bystander realised what was happening came to the rescue and threw a rock at one of the suspect’s head. The suspect lost control of his footing and fell. In the distraction the Chinese ran into the crowd in the market area. By then the crowd started to retaliate by throwing rocks at the suspects who had already boarded the vehicle, a beige Toyota Harrier, and were attempting to drive out when a Police unit arrived at the scene. Shots were exchanged resulting in the death of one of the suspects. The other three were wounded in the shoot-out.
Public Safety Police and CID including the Armed Robbery Squad, the Homicide Squad and the Forensics arrived at the scene at 4.15pm and secured the crime scene. The St John’s Ambulance later arrived and transported the three wounded suspects to the Port Moresby General Hospital at 3 Mile.
Witnesses at the scene were identified and the couple were brought to the Armed Robbery Squad at the Boroko Police Station and had their statements given. Investigations are continuing and the suspects are yet to be identified. Meanwhile, the vehicle was impounded at the Forensics Office at Gordon’s for further examination.
Chief Superintendent N’Dranou said that Police are trained to protect and serve the public and this was what police did on Tuesday.
Mr N’Dranou thanked the public at Koki along with security guards at the Koki Fish Market for responding and helping police prevent a crime from taking place.
“It’s a good indication that the public are tired and frustrated of crime and criminals and are cooperating with police,” Chief Superintendent N’Dranou said.

Papua New Guiena Minister Peter O’Neill officially launched and performed the ground breaking of the building of a new two-story airport terminal in Vanimo and the extension of the Vanimo airport in West Sepik province today.

Mr O’Neill arrived in Vanimo with a delegation on Wednesday with a delegation of government ministers including technical officials and spent the two days in the province as part of his tour of Madang, Wewak and Vanimo.

He said the Vanimo airport development project will benefit the people of Vanimo and serve as the gateway for the country to Asia.
 “Vanimo airport project will bring in a lot of development and economic benefit to the people and become our country’s gateway gate way to other destinations.

“We want to make sure that the people of Vanimo in West Sepik and East Sepik and the country benefit by using the modern airport facilities in their travels.

“That is why we are improving the capacity of the Vanimo airport so that bigger planes can come and land and take off.

‍“That is why we want to make sure that the Vanimo airport is built quickly to an international standard and the roads linking the two East and West Sepik provinces must be upgraded.

 “The government knows that the people of West Sepik also need bridges and we are committed to having those projects looked at’’.

“We will send a big government delegation with the Secretary for Works to look at the road network in Vanimo town to be upgraded.

 “The government has budgeted K5 million for the road from Waterrais to Wutung border area,’’ said Prime Minister O’Neill.

 He said this after a visit to the Wutung Border post in the morning also on Thursday 14th February 2019. Prime Minister O’Neill also assured the people of Vanimo and West Sepik, especially the landowners of the Frieda River mine that the landowners and provincial governments interest will be given number one priority.

“The Frieda River Mine project development has been with the government and developers for a long time and there has been lots of arguments and talks about the costs involved in getting the project off the ground’’.

‘’But let me tell the people of West Sepik that like what we did for the landowners of Ok Tedi Mine, and like what we are proposing to do with the renegotiation of the benefits for our people, we will do the same with Frieda river mine project’’.


‘’We will renegotiate the terms and conditions for the benefit our resource owners and provincial government.

 ‘’A lot of the shares from our resources have been taken out of the country and other people outside other than the landowners have benefited and we the people and landowners have not benefited and our government.

‘’We have put some of the developers of those resources on notice that we will renegotiate the terms and conditions of the landowner’s benefits and that the benefits must go to the people.

‘’There sources belong to our people and our people must benefit first and the investors get their share accordingly.

‘’That is the same thing we are doing with the Wafi-Golpu mine in Morobe province and the 2nd PNG LNG project’’.

 ‘’It’s going to be a better deal, and it will be the deal that will set the bench mark for future projects in the country and I want to fully assure the people of Vanimo and West Sepik province that the same category and negotiation will happen to Frieda river mine.

’We will do a better deal for you so please, give us enough time and be patient with us as we will deliver you a better deal.

The government has also announced that a Teachers College will built in Sandaun province. Prime Minister O’Neill also announced that the government will work on buildingthe wharves in Vanimo and Wewak.

 “The other projects in Vanimo that our Minister for National Planning is taking the lead in the design and scoping is the Vanimo wharf and also the Wewak wharf to be funded by our development partners from Korea.

 ‘’So that the Korean Government is going to partner our government and work closely with us to develop the two wharves in Vanimo and Wewak in the East and West Sepik provinces, he said.

 Prime Minister O’Neill also told the people that the government is using funds it has to distribute it evenly to throughout the country.

Tahiti has expressed concerns over the suitability of accommodation for athletes competing in the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia.

A Memorandum of Agreement was signed in November between the Samoa Government and accommodation providers in Upolu and Savai'i.

But the majority of athletes will now base themselves at the Methodist Church of Samoa's Faleula compound for the July Games after officials were only able to convince 30 hotels to come on board, which will only cater for one quarter of the 4000 beds required.

The Vice President of Tahiti's Olympic Committee, Charles Villierme, said they have concerns the facilities will not enable athletes to perform to their best.

We used to, like in New Caledonia (in 2011), have a different way of lodging the athletes but in Samoa at first we were told that all athletes were going to be in hotels and lately we had information that it would be at the Baptist Church lodging,” he said.

“Our General Treasurer and our Chef de Mission have just come back from Samoa and they have inspected those housing for the athletes and we figure that it's not that it's bad but our athletes figure that they're not going to be in a good mood but we told them everybody is going to be at the same level.”

Charles Villierme said some of the lodgings in the Faleula compound are in better condition than others.

“Because we were the first to be there and the first to have paid we have asked for those condominiums and they said they did not attribute (the lodgings) to any countries yet, so we have to wait.

“We might have with the ok of the Pacific Games Council maybe other suggestions....Next week we have a board meeting of the (Tahiti) Olympic Committee and then we have the final decision then.”

Pacific Games Office CEO Falefata Hele Ei Matatia said in December he remained confident athletes will be provided with suitable accommodation during the July event.

He said discussions with the hotel sector were continuing.


SOURCE: RNZ PACIFIC/PACNEWS