Assistant Commissioner of Police Operations, Donald Yamasombi, has clarified his involvement in the on-going investigations surrounding the attempted smuggling of drugs out of Papua New Guinea.
Yamasombi had come under fire by members of the public, with accusations of personal involvement, after PNGs largest ever seizure of cocaine.
He spoke to EMTV this afternoon, in an exclusive interview.
It’s been 17 days since the downed aircraft was found in a makeshift airstrip on the outskirts of Port Moresby city.
During that period of time, a number of arrests have been made and included Papua New Guineans, and expatriates, and the confiscation of thousands of foreign currency and electronic hardware.
This time has also been a tough two and a half weeks for the operations commander of the Royal PNG Constabulary.
Yamasombi, says, he has been targeted with accusations, because of the tight-lipped manner in which investigations are being carried out.
“I will not speculate…I think this is all because I did not speak up and say this is what we are doing,” says Yamasombi.
He added that the accusations are not true.
The sensitivity surrounding the investigations is understandable.
A week after the announcement had reached the media of ¾ of a tonne of Cocaine had been retrieved, police commissioner David Manning had said, that this being a transnational operation, both the PNG police, as well as their Australian counterparts were working in cohesion in bringing those involved, to justice.
Yamasombi has acknowledged the intelligence assistance that has been provided by the Australian Federal Police, and he says, with investigations still on-going, bringing forth evidence to the police regarding accusations of misuse or personal involvement, should take precedence, rather than public assertions.
So far, 3 Papua New Guinean men, Australian Pilot David Cutmore and Italian sailor Carlos Attanasio have been arrested and charged.
Yamsombi says more arrests are expected to be made.
