Aitape District Police Station Commander, lashes out at negligence by Sandaun Provincial Liquor Licensing Board for not doing their job.
Sergeant Major, Paul Vavena, stressed the need for the board to look carefully through their existing records and reconvene necessary meetings to apprehend any illegal operators within the province.
He also added that the rise in social crimes has been the result of continued operation by these illegal liquor outlets, which has been the case in Aitape.
According to the Sergeant Major, it has been an ongoing issue, that there has been an absence of annual board meetings by the Sandaun Provincial Liquor Licensing Board, to refer licenses for approval, disapproval, renewal and recommendation.
He added further that due to the absence of these meetings, unlicensed, illegal liquor outlets have sprouted everywhere, resulting in the rise of black market businesses.
Sergeant Major Vavena had made these accusations after receiving a copy of an official letter from the Sandaun Provincial Liquor Licensing Board, for the approval by Aitape District Administrator, Melchoir Kalit on the renewal of an operational liquor license belonging to Nangupo Trading.
According to the Sergeant Major’s understanding, Nangupo Trading is a beer club that has been operating in Vanimo under the management of Jeffrey Ams. However, the letter has requested for the renewal of the license within a certain premises of Aitape.
"It is logical that Nangupo Trading cannot be liable for a renewal for it’s operations in Aitape, the reason being that, Nangupo Trading has been operating in Vanimo and has no operational existence in Aitape. It cannot be possible to have one license to operate from two different locations," the Sergeant Major commented.
He added that it would also be contradictory for a renewal of a club license to be used for the operation of a beer outlet.
"How can the licensing board request for a renewal of the club’s operating license within Aitape, when there hasn’t been any evident record that Nangupo Trading has been licensed to operate within this area," questioned the Sergeant Major.
However, he added that unless there already was an existing license, that he wasn’t aware of and that hasn’t been official recorded and recognised, which has been the case in several instances where only receipts have been written and not proper licenses being approved, and issued to owners.
The request letter that was sent to Mr. Kalit was issued by the Chairman of the Board, Hon. Carlos Yuni, however Sergeant Major Vavena has reason to believe that, the signature upon the letter is not that of Mr. Yuni’s but of the Liquor Inspector, Ignas Aro.
This has urged the Sergeant Major to investigate further, only to uncover that certain sections within the Sandaun Provincial Liquor Act 2001, had been breached. These are notably sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 19, 22, 30 and several others which are in relation to the license concerned.
The Sergeant Major has also expressed genuine concern for the proposed location of the beer club, adding that it would not be proper, being that it will only cause great disturbance to local residence and in the long run will contribute to alot of social, law and order problems.