A member of the public and football coach, Moise Poida, has questioned the role of police as law enforcers as to whether they are friends as they always claim to be or the society’s enemy.

This was raised after three people were allegedly assaulted by more than 10 officers in their (victims) own yard during a joint operation of Police and Vanuatu Mobile Force (VMF) on Saturday at around 4am.

This operation was confirmed by police as Zero Tolerance Operation to crack down on drunkards and check vehicles’ operating documents.

Poida whose relatives were badly beaten in front of him, said he is not happy with those officers’ behavior.

He alleged that after beating them, the police left the victims lying in his yard instead of taking them to Vila Central Hospital (VCH).

Poida who will be a witness himself in a criminal case reportedly being filed, alleged he was standing at roughly five metres away when the police and VMF officers were assaulting three of his relatives in their yard.

He alleged that the victims sustained massive injuries during the encounter that left them unconscious.

He further alleged that the officers were using safety boots and police baton against the three before he came to their rescue.

He alleged that those officers’ behaviour at that time was not normal, like people intoxicated with alcohol.

Poida said that an officer doing his job properly would respect a private yard and should knock and ask questions for help.

Poida who was supposed to file the case this week said that he is pursuing the case and he will make sure that those officers have to face the full force of the law.

“I’m literally sick about it, literally sick,” he said.

“You know, these aren’t the standards they have.

“We have been through a rough past two weeks with two alleged brutal killing that led to death and that could have been another,” he alleged, fearing for the worst if was not around. READ MORE

SOURCE: VANUATU DAILY POST