From correspondents in Port Moresby
April 6, 2004

ANGRY bystanders chopped off a suspect's leg after a gang murdered a shop manager in Papua New Guinea.

Crystal Trading manager James Hana was shot dead in front of his wife yesterday in the sleepy island township of Kavieng.

Upon hearing the gunshot, members of the public chased the gang and used a machete to sever the leg off one of the suspects.

Mr Hana's wife and an employee had been held-up by an armed gang as they opened for business in the morning.

When Mr Hana came downstairs to investigate, he was shot at close range.

Police said members of the public pursued the suspects after hearing the gunshot.

They caught two of them, but three escaped.

One of the suspects had his left leg cut off with a bush knife.

The leg is completely severed, a police spokesman told The National newspaper.

Police said one suspect was in police custody while the suspect with a severed limb was in a critical condition.

They expect the town to return to normal today following the temporary closure of businesses.

Kavieng politician Martin Aini blamed the police for failing to protect citizens.

"These long-serving policemen need to be transferred out," Mr Aini said.

"They have become friendly with the people and cannot uphold the laws to perform their duties with honesty."

Mr Aini said law and order problems were increasing in Kavieng, one of PNG's more popular tourist destinations.

"Kavieng is no longer a peaceful place to live and work in," said Mr Aini.

Kavieng is located in the far north-eastern province of New Ireland.

AAP

Shop manager shot

Bystanders nab 2 suspects, cut one’s leg off

ANGRY bystanders yesterday chased and chopped off the leg of a suspect believed to have been part of a gang involved in the fatal shooting of a shop manager in New Ireland Province.
Eyewitnesses said the manager, from Tasman Island in North Solomons, was shot dead at about 9am at the Crystal Tradestore in Kavieng Town.
Four suspects believed to have been non-New Irelanders, had gained entry into the shop through the back door before confronting the manager and demanding money. One eyewitness said the manager was shot at close range and was dead on arrival at the hospital.
The public, reacting to the shooting soon after, chased and captured two of the suspects, severing the leg of one in the process. Two others managed to escape. Police in Kavieng confirmed the fatal shooting but declined to disclose further information pending an investigations.
Meanwhile, Kavieng MP Martin Aini has condemned the shooting and killing of the victim, whom he named as James Hana.
“Mr Hana was a peace-loving and hard-working manager of Crystal Trading who had dedicated a good part of his life managing the store. On behalf of the people of Kavieng, I express my sympathy and extend my condolences to his wife and children,” he said, adding that law and order problems in the Kavieng District was increasing and called on the Government to immediately look into this matter.



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People are fed up with such crimes and are taking matters into their own hands. The question is - who is more wrong? The long arm of the law should go out and apprehend the murderers and the criminal with one leg short will regret this day for the rest of his life!

Clement