Police denies article stating ‘Tension high between B’villeans, SI border patrol’

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) is denying an article authored by Peterson Tseraha, which first published on print media, and later on ‘It’s Only in Bougainville’ Facebook page recently.

Commissioner of Police Mostyn Mangau says the article is extremely dangerous and full of lies. By reading through the article, it would be inhuman for border officers to do that.

He said his officers are trained professionals and know how to handle situations encountered.

“For RSIPF officers at the border forcing a young Bougainvillian fisherman to swim back to shore after confiscating his belongings and canoe is a cruel act. I believe my officers would not do such action,” he said.

Mangau says, “This is the second incident of disinformation against the RSIPF that has happened in this year alone at the border between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Island (SI). It seems to be motivated by factions to discredit our border operation with the intention to reopen the border for their own interest.”  

“I was well informed by our patrol team who met this Bougainvillean fisherman after they came back from their patrol and information received is completely different from the misinformation Mr. Teseraha stated in his article.”

“We are communicating with the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and almost the entire Pacific LEAs families and this article is misleading and has to be fully and fairly investigated. I see this as another attack on RSIPF to tarnish the good work done at the SI-PNG border by the RSIPF officers,” he said.

The Police Chief says, “I am very surprised to see publication of this unverified information rather than contacting Buin, Arawa police or even liaising with RSIPF Media Team to get the balance of the story before putting it out in the media.”

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