Police appeals for service providers to help after driver, conductor & passengers do nothing in bus stabbing incident

Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau has appealed to service providers to be more responsible for their customers after a bus driver and his contactor allowed a thief to escape their bus after he stole and stabbed a passenger early this year.

The thief who was only arrested this week with the help of his relatives was a passenger in a bus going up the Skyline Road but at Koahill the thief grabbed a phone belonging to passenger next to him and they fought for a while in the bus. The thief then stabbed the victim, stole the phone and escaped with the driver and conductor allowing him to escape.

Mangau said they should have stopped the thief or even detain him.

The thief escaped at the top of the hill at Koahill.

This week the chief was charged and remanded in custody with the tabbing incident that occurred on 19 January 2023 at Koa Hill area.

The 20 years-old accused was brought into police custody by his immediate relative on 17 March 2023.

Commissioner Mangau encourages such working together with police. Police appreciate relatives of the suspect for bringing him to the police. He is still innocent till proven guilty by the court.

Mangau said the accused grabbed the victim’s phone and tried to escape but the victim grabbed onto him.

“They were struggling in the bus with the phone when everyone else in the bus looked on and did nothing. Both the accused and the victim were in the bus when the accused stabbed the victim.”