Auki police arrests suspect
THE water pump that was stolen from Kilu’ufi hospital, Malaita has been recovered by police and the suspect arrested over the weekend.
In a successful collaboration with Malu’u police, Auki police launched an operation in the heart of Mbaelelea and retrieved the stolen pump and arrested the suspect who is believed to be in his 30s.
Auki Provincial Police Commander acting Timothy Apaisi told the Solomon Star in Auki yesterday the suspect was with his wife who was admitted at the hospital’s maternity ward a week ago.
“Knowing that he and his wife were about to be discharged on October 10, the suspect cut-off the water pump and hide it away.
“When his wife was discharged from the hospital, he took with him the water pump, leaving the hospital’s maternity ward without water for the whole of last week.”
The removal of the water pump has forced the hospital to scale down its services, prompting difficulties in accessing health services at the hospital.
The hospital only resumed normal services after a businessman who wanted to remain anonymous stepped in and paid a new pump for the hospital.
Mr. Apaisi said since receiving complaints about the missing hospital water pump, Auki police started investigations.
“Over the weekend, Auki police received vital lead from the public that someone is trying to sell a water-pump in North Malaita.
“Upon receiving the information, they quickly send three police officers to Malu’u where they teamed up with the Malu’u officers in a joint operation to catch and arrest the suspect.
“It took the police four hours on foot to reach the suspect’s village up in the mountains around the Fadila area, in Mbaelelea.
“To police’s surprise, when police arrived at the village, the suspect was in the church attending the Sunday church service.
“Police have to wait for the suspect to finish his church service at the church before they approached and arrested him.
The acting police commander said when police questioned him after the church service; the suspect confessed to police that he stole the hospital water pump.
“After arresting the suspect, police went to a resident at Malu’u station and retrieved the water pump which was sold to him for only $200.”
He said the successful recovering of the stolen water pump and the arresting of the suspect marks a second successful joint operation between the Auki police, Malu’u police and the public last week.
Malaita Provincial Health Director Dr. Henry Kako said the worst thing for a parent to do to a hospital that saves the life of his wife and child is to turn back and steal from the hospital.
Dr. Kako confirmed that the suspect was there at the hospital in the last two weeks with his wife who gave birth to a new born baby.
He said the suspect for the last two weeks was admitted at the children’s’ ward keeping his wife and new born baby who was born prematurely at the hospital.
He said the hospital has helped the couple to the best of its ability with the little resource they have which see the premature baby and mother discharged in a healthy state.
Dr. Kako who was not a happy man when he learned about the incident, strongly condemned the attitude adding that the action of that particular parent does not reflect the help that he and his family received from the hard working staff of Kilu’ufi hospital.
While he thanked some members of the public for assisting with useful information which lead to the successful arresting of the suspect, he also called on the public to have maximum respect for public life-saving properties.
“Hospital offer health services for free and people should accept that and respect the fact that hospitals are here to help people and save lives.”
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
in Auki
