A POLICE officer has been suspended from duties following allegation that a vehicle went missing from the Kukum Traffic Centre compound last month.
The Police Media Unit confirmed the suspension of the officer in a statement yesterday.
Acting Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau said there is an allegation that the suspended officer is a suspect in the matter of the missing vehicle.
He said he therefore have to suspend the officer to allow the PSII to continue its investigation.
“He has been suspended on half pay and will not be allowed to perform any police duties while on suspension,” Mr Mangau said in the press statement.
The vehicle, a RAV 4 was involved in an accident with an ambulance from the National Referral Hospital (NRH) at Kukum on 9 September 2019.
The RAV 4 was making its way out of road at Florence Young junction when it hit the ambulance that was making an emergency run.
It was taken to the Kukum Traffic Centre that same day.
The owners of the vehicle on 25 December 2019, went to the traffic centre to check on their vehicle, only to their dismay to find that it was no longer there.
They asked the officers at the traffic centre of the whereabouts of their vehicle but no one seemed to know.
Following the complaints raised by the owners of the vehicle, an investigation has been carried out by the police.
Acting Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau in a previous commissioner’s weekly conference said the police’s Professional Standards and Internal Investigations (PSII) is seriously investigating this matter.
He said this incident is a serious breach of police conduct and that following ongoing complaints of things gone missing in police compound, they are looking at improving the process in their stations on to look after properties.
He had also stated in previous week, that if the action is taken by the police, they will seriously deal with the issue.
Following police investigation, an officer is now being suspended from duties.
The Solomon Star understands the officer was a senior staff at the Kukum Traffic Centre.
By ASSUMPTA BUCHANAN
