Papua New Guinea police arrested two policemen from Bougainville for illegally crossing into the Solomon Islands – breaching the State of Emergency (SoE) imposed by the PNG government.
PNG’s Post Courier reports that the two policemen crossed to Shortland across the Solomon Islands/PNG border without the knowledge of their superiors.
The two men were arrested in Buin, South Bougainville, but have since been released on a K$200 bail.
Chief of Bougainville police Francis Tokura says that the arrest serves as a reminder to all law enforcement officers that no one is above the law.
He says that the SoE was created to protect citizens of PNG and it must be respected.
The PNG government had announced in mid-March the immediate closure of the Solomon Islands – Bougainville border. Bougainville is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of PNG, also known as Bougainville Province.
The Solomon Islands also closed the country's border to non-citizens on March 22nd as a preventative measure against the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The Solomon Islands is yet to register a case of Covid-19, PNG has recorded two cases so far.