Toothless Police, Untouchable PNG Politicians

​By George Lemako
​
Papua New Guinea is being told that citizens should not take corruption complaints to the police because the Constabulary is compromised. Instead, they are advised to go directly to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). This directive may appear to safeguard investigations, but in reality, it exposes a frightening truth: the police force is being painted as powerless, and politicians are being cast as untouchable.

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) is the backbone of law enforcement in this country. Declaring them too compromised to investigate MPs is more than just advice—it is an admission that one of our central democratic institutions has lost its teeth. If citizens are told to avoid the police, it means public confidence in law and order has already been eroded, and corruption has gained the upper hand.

Image graphics depicts toothless police and Member of Parliament

Yes, political interference has marred investigations before. The Manu Manu land deal is a prime example where senior figures allegedly escaped accountability because files were closed or blocked. But these failures do not justify sidelining the entire Constabulary. Instead of writing off the police, Papua New Guinea should be demanding reforms, stronger oversight, and accountability mechanisms that restore the police to their rightful role as guardians of justice.

The contradiction in the directive cannot be ignored. Citizens are warned not to lodge complaints with police headquarters, yet ICAC is said to “collaborate” with the Fraud Squad. If police are too compromised to take complaints, how are they trustworthy enough to assist ICAC? This doublespeak undermines both institutions, leaving citizens confused and uncertain about where to turn.

Relying solely on ICAC to lead the fight against corruption risks creating a dangerous dependency. ICAC was never meant to replace the police but to strengthen the fight against corruption alongside them. When citizens are directed away from the police, it signals a country where the traditional enforcers of justice have been sidelined, leaving only one institution to carry a burden too heavy for it alone.

Whistleblowers must be protected, and evidence must be secured, but the solution is not to abandon the RPNGC. If the police are weak, they must be fixed. If senior officers are compromised, they must be removed. A democratic state cannot function when its people are told the police cannot be trusted. The fight against corruption cannot be won by discrediting one institution to elevate another—it requires strong, independent police working hand in hand with ICAC.

Papua New Guinea must confront the hard reality: when the police are toothless, the politicians become untouchable. If we do not restore integrity to our Constabulary, no commission, however independent, will be able to stand alone against the tide of corruption that continues to rob this country of its future.

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