Media Release
Assisting Australian Police
Enhanced Cooperation
Program
3 May 2005
SATELLITE DISH AT BOROKO POLICE STATION A VITAL
EMERGENCY RESPONSE FACILITY: POLICE
The satellite dish at Boroko Police Station which has been the subject of recent
media speculation is a vital part of the RPNGC’s emergency response facilities,
Acting RPNGC Commissioner Tom Kulunga QPM said today.
Acting Commissioner Kulunga described a report in last Friday’s The National (“Spy
Link Claims – AAP conducting surveillance on PNG: Officials”) as “utter nonsense”.
“The equipment in question is a stand-alone internet facility installed by local provider
Hi-Tron as part of the capacity-building program we are undertaking with the AAP at
our Operations Centre at Boroko.
“It’s an essential part of the communications facilities upgrade the RPNGC is
currently undertaking in order to protect the safety of all people in Papua New Guinea
– the satellite dish is here to help save lives, not spy on people!” Acting
Commissioner Kulunga said.
“The recent report in The National was pure fiction – and it was published without any
attempt to substantiate the inaccurate and potentially malicious claims that it
contained.
“We think it is timely to point out that today in PNG the press are celebrating World
Media Freedom Day. This is even more reason to condemn false and biased
reporting of the kind we all saw in the last few days about the RPNGC’s Boroko
satellite dish. Freedom of the media is important – but that doesn’t mean the media
should feel free to mislead the public and not check their facts,” Acting Commissioner
Kulunga said.
Inquiries: RPNGC Media/Marketing Unit
David Terry Marsali Mackinnon
T: 322 6243 T: 322 6182
M: 684 9481 M: 689 4235