Nape arrested

Source: The National, Tuesday 18th September, 2012 By ZACHERY PER THE Task Force Sweep has swiftly moved to arrest former speaker of parliament Jeffery Nape in Kundiawa, Chimbu, on the eve of the 37th Independence Day anniversary. Nape was alleged to have misused K5 million. A warrant of arrest issued by the Task Force Sweep was used to apprehend Nape as he was leaving the Kundiawa court house last Friday where he was attending a separate bribery charge of K30,000. Nape was alleged to have offered K30,000 to a fellow candidate in the Sinasina-Yongumugl seat during the elections to induce him to step aside. Reports said Kundiawa police acted on the advice of police investigators attached to the Task Force Sweep to arrest Nape. “The Sweep team executed the warrant through Goroka police who then briefed the job to Kundiawa police to effect arrest,” an officer said. He said the police have a duty to perform for the state. Therefore, they executed the warrant to make the arrest. Nape was taken from the Kundiawa court house to the police station where he was formally arrested before being escorted to Goroka to be flown to Port Moresby for questioning and detention. However, the afternoon Air Niugini flight to Goroka last Friday was cancelled. Nape and the police officers spent the night in Goroka and flew the next day to Port Moresby. Sinasina-Yongumugl district office further confirmed that the Sweep team was investigating the use of K5 million earmarked for the rehabilitation education sector infrastructure (Resi) programme for schools in Sinasina-Yongumugl. The investigation had led to the arrest of Nape.