NCD Metropolitan Superintendent Gideon Ikumu has expressed disappointment in what he claims is the one-sided reporting of police related issues by some media houses.
Mr Ikumu said the good work police do to keep law and order at a manageable level continues to be overlooked.
This follows what Superintendent Ikumu described as the erratic behaviour of the media on reporting the detaining of Media Niuguni Limited, Richard Magei by police officers on COVID-19 enforcement duties in Port Moresby on Friday.
NCD Met Supt stated that Magei was detained for using his mobile phone in a suspicious manner to stealthily capture police officers removing betel nut vendors at 5 Mile who were ensuring the Pandemic Measures around public gatherings were being adhered to.
“Police have the power to arrest and detain any person who has committed or is about to commit [an offence] for questioning purpose, and that is exactly what they did.”
“The way he was dressed was very suspicious to police so the police have the right to pull him in and question him. A media officer is no different from anybody.”
“Police took him to one of the tents at Unagi Oval, and all of a sudden there is a media hype and within less than an hour there’s already rumours about a kidnapping done by police in broad daylight.”
Supt. Ikumu added that the branding of police officers as such and the kind of attitude generated by such biased reports only serves to tarnish the name of the police force.