Gari Baki’s crackdown: Shameless hypocrisy

By PNG Echo

The truism that a fish rots from the head (that problems in an organization all stem from its leadership) was clearly not uppermost in Commissioner of Police, Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (COP, RPNGC) Gari Baki’s conscious when he issued a press statement, a few days ago, about how he was going to crackdown on corruption and police brutality within the RPNGC.

“…POLICE Commissioner Gari Baki says a special investigation team will be formed in NCD soon with the primary objective of detecting and prosecuting members of the Constabulary who are involved in corrupt practices.
This is part of the Constabulary’s bid to clean-up the city in preparations for the 2018 APEC Leaders’ Summit in November.
Selected members of the Constabulary with good standing and character would be randomly selected from the Internal Affairs Directorate, Mobile Squads and Criminal Investigation Division to form this special Investigation team…”

It got me wondering whether this “team” would be similar to the hand-picked “team” he (allegedly) sent into West New Britain to intimidate shareholders of a company of which Baki’s family held control under his brother’s leadership, until his brother’s death.

Let me sum it up for you – or read here for the details:
Baki (allegedly) used state’s resources (police personnel – including much expensive paraphernalia) to intimidate shareholders of a company in which he had a pecuniary interest, in order that his family hold onto power in that company. (Baki’s son now heads the company after Baki Senior hosted a legally-dubious meeting).

So, here we potentially have police brutality AND corruption all in one package. This fish’s head seems very rotten indeed.

THE NEED FOR REFORM:

I read Baki’s press release with increasing dismay at its unashamed hypocrisy.

Here was the Chief of Police flagrantly avowing that he was seriously tackling the problems of the RPNGC – some of which he is (allegedly) a seasoned practitioner:  he does not come to the table with clean hands.

What is his message? Do as I say, not as I do? – or worse – we’ll do it my way.

With Baki’s own (alleged) penchant for corruption and venality, his crackdown on these undesirable attributes within the force he commands can only mean one thing: selective prosecution of those who don’t tow his line. He’s hardly likely to have himself investigated, is he?

Thus, he will not be weeding out corruption but controlling it – and a fine example to his men of how to do this corruption business properly, he (allegedly) is.

While there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the police force needs radical reform; to believe that this reform can be executed under the likes of Baki is tantamount to stupidity!

It is indicative of the collective lack of quality education among Ministers of the Government, that they have not reacted swiftly to curb and replace this dangerous man!  After all, the person who has a monopoly on violence (whether legitimate, illegitimate or semi-legitimate) and the use of force within a country, controls it.

Baki is a law unto himself and it is alleged that he uses law enforcement officers to break the law – for his own personal gain.  These are serious allegations and they have been made publicly – and fallen on deaf ears.

WAKE UP PNG – in any other country the revelations of his alleged misdeeds would have created a tsunami. In PNG it’s hardly caused a ripple.