An elderly man from Amu Village in Abau District who works at the new Golden Birch Resources, a Platinum Prospecting Site on the Owen Stanley Range is alleged to have gone missing for over 6 weeks now.
Mr Oabo Oabo Moses, in his 50s and a father of three (3) children had been missing for over 6 weeks now after attempting to return to his workplace by foot on November 12, 2020, but never arrived at his destination.
Reports have it that he was flown home on a company chopper on 8th November for a 4-day break at his Amau Village in the Cloudy Bay LLG, in Abau District, Central Province and after his break, decided to return to work by foot on 12th November.
Senior Constable Russel Penunu of Moreguina Police Station in Central Province said colleagues of Mr Moses who returned to their workplace after their two-week break confirmed that Mr Moses never returned to work and notified the Golden Birch Resources Platinum Prospecting Company and a missing person search was carried.
They also notified the family and a combined search was carried out by relatives and his work colleagues for another four (4) weeks but to no avail.
It wasn’t until last Friday that the family decided to file a missing person’s report with Moreguina Police Station but by then it was already the 6th week of him going missing.
“Ol ples lain blong em ino bin tingting long come putim report long first place,” said Snr Constable Penunu.
“If a missing person report was filed earlier, we would have notified the District Authorities, the Disaster and Emergency and the Search and Rescue team to carry out the search,” he stated.
Snr Constable Penunu said right now even the Provincial Police Authorities are not aware of this report, but they still had hopes to find the missing person.
The search for missing person, Mr Oabo Oabo Moses started this week, on 18th January 2021 and will end on the 18th of February 2021.
Moreguina police have joined the family in the missing person’s search which started yesterday with all logistics support provided by the company he worked for, Golden Birch Resources Platinum Prospecting.
“We do not know if the missing person is still alive but we will search until we find him.”
Picture source: Wikimedia Commons