TWO youths from Temotu province who claimed to be wrongly arrested and detained for more than 40 hours at the Henderson Airport cell have condemned the actions of police arguing they were victims of poor policing.
Three young boys from Reef Island in Temotu province were arrested by police over the weekend and kept in custody, until they were released on Monday afternoon.
They visited the Solomon Star office on Wednesday to share their stories on how poor policing in the Henderson area unfairly dealt with criminal allegation on innocent people, while the perpetrators walked away freely.
Billy Sipolo, 14 and Ashley Maetau, 19, claimed they were tricked by police to arrest them and put them in the cell for more than 40 hours.
They were arrested for incidents of rock throwing and damaging tables and stools used by vendors at the Henderson market, on Saturday night.
But the duo claimed those who responsible for destroying the market were men and young boys from the Weathercoast of Guadalcanal, whom none of them were arrested.
The youths who worked as security officers for Gaoming, a Chinese company that erected a new fence near to the Henderson market, spilled their disappointment with the work of the police.
The duo said after the youths destroyed all the tables and stools at the market, they approached the newly built copper walls around Gaoming area and attempted to pull it down, thus that is when they intervened to protect the property and themselves that consequently led to a clash of rock throwing.
The security boys said police never attended the scene when the perpetrators who swore at them threatened to pull down the fence.
It was after the conflict calmed down, that officers came around and persuaded them to go to the police station, where the response team beat them up and put them in the cell.
They further claimed police refused to allow them to give their statement, arguing that this is total injustice on those they entrusted to uphold the laws.
They claimed that none of the men from Weather Coast of Guadalcanal, who responsible for destroying the market were arrested.
Sipolo revealed by pointing at the side of his head, where he was allegedly hit by a police officer and still suffering pain.
However, Henderson police when contacted yesterday declined to comment.
The Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Nixon Manetoga through one of his staff said they won’t make any comment, since the cases of those arrested are now under investigation by police.
By AATAI JOHN
