Driver of vehicle crashing into DPM Sam Basil was intoxicated

Police Commissioner David Manning released an official statement today in relation to the vehicle accident that claimed the lives of the late Deputy Prime Minister, Honourable Sam H Basil MP, and his Close Protection Officer First Constable Neil Maino.

Sam Basil's funeral Photo Rueben Giusu Facebook

Following a brief from the Divisional Commander Northern Assistant Commissioner Peter Guiness, Mr Manning said, “A Police investigation commenced immediately following the incident and on documenting the accident scene and interviewing the two survivors of the accident, police investigators were satisfied with the evidence on hand to lay charges on the driver of the other vehicle.

“Investigators were able to confirm that the accident involved two vehicles. The late DPM was the driver of one vehicle whilst a Mr Mathew Barnabas, a 37 year-old male from Ambai village, Simbai in the Madang Province was the driver of the other.

Barnabas, a coffee buyer who is married to a local woman from Mumeng, Bulolo District, is being transported into Lae tomorrow where he is likely to be charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing the the deaths of the Deputy Prime Minister and his CPO and dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm to the other two passengers.

Mr Manning said investigations pointed to allegations of a dangerous combination of speed and driving under the influence of liquor, allegedly by Barnabas, as evident from the bottles of alcohol recovered from his vehicle.

Mr Manning expressed his condolences to the families and described the incident as “very tragic”. He went on to say that whilst the country is coming to terms with the loss of its Deputy Prime Minister, the RPNGC is also coming to terms with the loss of one of its own.

“The loss of late F/C Maino is very tragic. We witnessed his young wife and daughter as well as his parents mourning over his casket and it was a very emotional day on Sunday when their bodies were flown into Port Moresby.

“The RPNGC and the Police Legacy will ensure we continue to support F/C MAINO’s widow and daughter as much as we can during this time of bereavement and into the future,” Mr Manning said.

Mr Manning renewed his call for calm during this time as a sign of respect for the memory of the late DPM and his CPO.

“Yumi mas soim pasin kastom na respect lo dispela taim. Hevi kamap pinis. Polis wokim wok painim aut pinis lo as blo dispela hevi. Na nau em taim lo sindaun wantaim na soim sore lo lida blo yumi. Luksave na strongim femili blo lida blo yumi, na blo polis man blo yumi tu,” Mr Manning said in Tok Pisin.

Commissioner Manning added he was aware of posts on social media regarding the circumstances leading up to and during the incident.

“I would like to caution those who are involved in this reckless behaviour to refrain from causing unnecessary stress and provoking violence during this time. Police have obtained sufficient evidence to support the charges that will be laid and that is what we will do.

“I had made an appeal to anyone with any information relating to the incident to come forward to the investigation team and provide that information officially, and that offer is still there. To date we have not received anything officially supporting the social media posts, except information on the vehicle accident itself,” Mr Manning concluded.

Press Release-Police Department

Australian National University PhD holder becomes Assistant Police Commissioner

Police Commissioner David Manning this week promoted four police officers to the rank of Assistant Commissioners in-charge of various commands within the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Among them is Dr Philip Mitna who holds a doctoral degree from the Australian National University in Canberra.

His doctoral thesis was on Factors influencing Papua New Guinea’s foreign policy in the twenty-first century.

ACP Dr Philip Mitna (left)

He is the first police officer to be conferred a doctoral degree.

Son of a correctional service officer, Mitna from Simbu province was a science foundation student at the University of Papua New Guinea but his marks did not impress much and when cadet recruitment for the police college came up he enlisted and completed his training.

He was then posted to the NCD dog unit squad and eventually became the Dog Unit director.

When he was at the police department he furthered tertiary studies at UPNG obtaining a degree in public policy management, then a postgraduate degree in Public Administration in Singapore and eventually his doctoral degree in Australia.

Dr Mitna is now  Assistant Commissioner Policy & Planning at RPNGC.

“I’m satisfied with the board recommendations and have no doubt you are bringing onboard your expertise that is very much needed in the management. We now have a solid team to take the constabulary forward,” Commissioner Manning said.

The other promotions were

· Chief Superintendent Peter Philip to Assistant Commissioner Border Command;

· Chief Superintendent Rigga Neggi to Assistant Commissioner Highlands Eastern Command; and

· Chief Superintendent Perou N’Dranou to Assistant Commissioner New Guinea Islands Command. Mr N’Dranou is currently contingent Commander of the Police and Correctional Service officers deployed to the Solomon Islands.

 

Deputy Commissioner Administration Joanne Clarkson has congratulated the officers and also thanked them for showing interest in applying for these challenging positions.

She said: “There were 14 applications for six positions advertised but it was reduced to five because there was a substantive appointment made to my previous position as the Deputy Chief of Bougainville Police Service which is Assistant Commissioner Naua Vanuawaru, so the board deliberated on five positions instead."

She added that the Commissioner specifically wanted a good team to not only deliver the 2022 National General Election but more importantly transcend the executive reform agendas and intentions going forward.

“So, from the applications the board saw that you are fit for the organization at this particular time to deliver what is most needed and have recommended you all. It’s time we set the foundation and legacy for the ones coming after us.

PNG Supreme Court confirms Manning as Police Commissioner

BY CHARLES MOI and MIRIAM ZARRIGA

(The National)

POLICE Commissioner David Manning has re-committed himself to leading the constabulary after the Supreme Court confirmed his appointment and dismissed an earlier court ruling that it was “unlawful”.

David Manning Source: PNG Covid-19 website

“I continue to be committed to lead the (constabulary) and its members in transitioning it into a force that we can all be proud of. It will be a challenging journey but not an impossible one,” he said.
The Supreme Court panel of Justice Derek Hartshorn, Justice Collin Makail and Justice Ere Kariko agreed to dismiss the National Court ruling on Jan 22, 2021 that declared Manning’s appointment unlawful.

Manning and the Government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the Jan 22 decision in which Justice David Cannings ruled in favour of two former senior police officers who had argued that Manning was not qualified to hold the position.
The court was told that on Dec 10, 2019, Manning was appointed commissioner and secretary of the Police Department by the Governor-General on the advice of the National Executive Council.
Ousted senior police officers Sylvester Kalaut and Fred Yakasa who were short-listed for the police commissioner’s position then challenged Manning’s appointment in the National Court.
Justice Cannings ruled that Manning was not qualified for the position of secretary for the Police Department as he did not hold a tertiary qualification.
But he pointed out that it was impractical and undesirable to declare that only the appointment as secretary was affected by an error of law, and not Manning’s appointment as police commissioner.
Manning and the Government argued that Justice Cannings erred in law or mixed fact and law.
Justice Hartshorn ruled that Justice Cannings did not give good or sufficient reasons for the declaration that the appointment of Manning was unlawful.
“I am of the view that the primary judge fell into error,” Justice Hartshorn said.
Justice Makail said: “The notion that there exists a head or secretary of the department of police has no constitutional and statutory foundation in law.
“It would follow that the minimum tertiary qualification of a degree from a recognised university which the trial judge relied on to disqualify Manning was unnecessary and irrelevant. This is where the trial judge erred.”
Justice Kariko agreed with the reasoning and conclusions of his fellow judges.
The Supreme Court also ordered Kalaut and Yakasa to pay the court costs of the appellants.
Manning yesterday urged officers to “set the police force on the path of rebuilding the trust and confidence of our people in us”.
“Through our professional hard working members we have much to do and can achieve so much more,” he said.
Police Minister William Onglo told The National that the justice system should be commended for upholding the law.