Police Commissioner David Manning today confirmed that a Port Moresby based Mobile squad officer on duty in Tari has been missing since Friday October 21, in the Hela Province.
Mr Manning confirmed this when receiving the Police Major Incident Brief (MIB) from the Hela Provincial Police Command, four days after a thorough search and awareness was carried out in the surrounding communities in the Hela Province.
“Since October 21 we have had no information from the general public or any agents as to his whereabouts. We are very concerned about his safety and well-being.
“This has been reported as a missing person’s case. No one has since come forward to provide any information at all into the officer’s disappearance,” Mr Manning said.
The Commissioner said that on Thursday October 20, Senior Constable Nelson Kalimada with some of his colleagues were escorting the Hela Provincial Education Examination supervisors to and from the Magarima Secondary School for the grade 10 and 12 examination sittings.
That evening, after returning to the base camp, Senior Constable Kalimada left his colleagues and drove out himself and has not returned since.
Mr Manning has appealed to the people of Hela to assist police find Senior Constable Kamlida.
“I’m calling on the community and Provincial leaders to assist the Police investigation. The leadership of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, the rank and file and especially the immediate family of Senior Constable Kamlida are gravely concerned about his whereabouts.
“I am appealing to anyone with information of his whereabouts to report immediately to the Hela Provincial Police Commander. Please help us find him and bring him back safely to his family,” Mr Manning said.