MEDIA STATEMENT

No man is above the law

By
Thomas Eluh
Assistant Commissioner of Police - Suspended

To use a rugby league analogy, my suspension can be likened to that of a half-back being
sin-binned by his own captain in the crucial stages of the game. This is rather unheard of in
the history of rugby league and especially in the 126 year history of the Royal Papua New
Guinea Constabulary.
Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki can talk and try to justify himself till the sun freezes over but
he cannot fool the people of Papua New Guinea. He is now being seen as a puppet
conveniently appointed to prevent Prime Minister Peter ONeill from submitting himself to
the rule of law.
How can Vaki ask us to give him the benefit of doubt when prior to officially taking office
and without receiving any briefing from myself and my investigators he issued instructions to
consent to retraining orders being sought by the Prime Ministers lawyer against police from
arresting the Prime Minister?
How can he expect us to trust him now that he has applied to the District Court to set aside
the warrant of arrest on the Prime Minister? I dont know who is advising him but this is a
total abuse of process. The National Court made it clear that the Warrant of Arrest is in order.
The National Court did not find officers involved in the investigation as rogue police officers,
nor did it find one shred of evidence that the investigation was politically motivated. How
then can you go to a lower court to overturn something that the higher court has recognised?
These are actions of a man who not only is irrational but one whose sense of balance,
justice and fairness is now highly questionable. These are actions of a man who has
compromised everything that he stood for.
Please let me inform the people of Papua New Guinea that this is not about my ambition for
position and power. If either myself, former Commissioner Sir Toami Kulunga or former
Deputy Police Commissioner Simon Kauba were hungry for power and position one of us
would be Commissioner and the Prime Minister would not have been invited in for the
interview. We invited the Prime Minister to come in for the interview and we lost our jobs.
As I have mentioned, this is not the time and place to argue our case. We are honest,
committed career professional law enforcement officers and our actions will be justified and
vindicated in a court of law, not in the media or over the internet.
Everyone must realise that this is no longer a case of the Prime Minister being guilty or
innocent. It is not about being right or wrong. That is for the court to say. This is about
whether Prime Minister ONeill, the Chief Executive Officer of Papua New Guinea respects
the laws of our country and more importantly, whether he will subject himself to the same
law, regardless of how high and mighty he thinks he is.
The world is watching with grave concern. And as the prime minister himself so correctly
stated, this is denting investor confidence. But not for the reasons he stated. And contrary to
what he has stated, there is no political crisis. The issue here is simple and that is one man
manipulating the government as well as the instruments of state, especially police to not
subject himself to the law and due process. The Prime Minister has not understood the serious
implications for PNG by his refusal to submit himself to the law. The message he is sending
to foreign investors and citizens alike is that there is no rule of law and that their investment
and lives are not safe.
I am not sensationalising matters here when I say that the countrys future as an
independent functioning democracy hangs in the balance because of one mans refusal to
submit himself to the rule of law.
There is a saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Absolute
power also makes people arrogant and blind to the implications of their actions and inactions.
What is stopping ONeill, the elected members of parliament, Vaki and the policemen
supporting him from seeing what the real issue is and what the implications are for PNG as a
nation?
As I have said in a previous statement, the police service has gone to the dogs. Where are
the commissioned officers? Where is the police union? Is there anyone else out there who has
the courage and the heart to do what is right for the country or are we going to allow our
country to be thrown into a state of lawlessness by one man's stubboness?
I stand committed in my fight, not for wealth or position, nor for power but for the rule of
law to stand supreme because it is upon this that PNG exists and through this that we enjoy
our peace, freedom and well-being.


Thomas Eluh
Assistant Commissioner Police Suspended
Ph. No. 72010067