This is PNG's notorious wife beater and torturer Simon Bernard
Rogue ex-copper Simon Bernard continues to evade arrest by Papua New Guinea police.
Bernard was a policeman until his sacking for the torture and assault of his wife Joy Wartovo over a six-year period, and has been on the run since orders were issued that he be arrested and charged.
PNG police’s inability to ‘locate’ a photograph of him within their files is one reason behind the lack of progress in putting him behind bars.
However members of the Facebook campaign Papua New Guineans Against Domestic Violence were able to get two pictures of the culprit. The first picture is of a Papua New Guinean male in shorts, a green t-shirt and wearing a pair of sun glasses. While the second one is of a policeman in a blue police-issued camouflage uniform.
Police have confirmed that the two pictures are of Bernard, but stopped short of saying if they will distributed to the local media, to enable members of the public to help identify the wanted man.
National Capital District metropolitan superintendent Joseph Tondop, Port Moresby’s top cop, had appealed to policemen last month to bring Bernard in.
The failure by police to progress the case has outraged the public with a lot of them taking to social media to express their frustration.
”’Protect your own man’ is a saying common in special arm forces. Police are playing deaf & dumb in this case. An alternative force seems reasonable. But will the Govt or Police minister respond positively?” said one posting.
Others mooted a citizens’ arrest: “I am beginning to think that a citizens’ arrest will be the only way to bring him in since the Police seem unwilling to act against him. They have had his photo for 3 days and still done nothing with it”.
Anyone who sees a Papua New Guinean male who fits the above photographic description are encouraged to call Mr Tondop on telephone 3244282 or mobile 71909990.