Six people appear in court over Lae killings

5:21 pm on 4 July 2016
The remains of a building after it was set alight during violent clashes at the University of Technology in Lae, Papua New Guinea.

Graham Romanon was killed in a night of violence at Unitech in Lae, where campus buildings were also burned down. Photo: Supplied / Albert Schram

Six people have appeared in a Papua New Guinea court over two killings that occured in a night of violence in Lae ten days ago.

Graham Romanong was killed at the University of Technology last Saturday, when a knife-wielding mob stormed his dormitory.

Three people were arrested last Monday, and the Post Courier reports that when they appeared in court, they were told they were not eligible for bail.

Also last Saturday, a prominent paediatrician, Alphonse Rongap Senior, was killed when he was attacked by a group of men with knives and shot at close range. Three people have been charged with wilful murder.

Dr Alphonse Rongap, who was killed in an attack in the PNG city of Lae on Saturday.

Dr Alphonse Rongap, who was killed in an attack in the PNG city of Lae on Saturday. Photo: PNG Loop

Police have stressed Dr Rongap's death was a random attack by opportunists, and not related to the unrest at the University of Technology.

The six people charged with the two killings appeared in court in Lae last Friday, where judge Jermiah Singomat adjourned the two cases to July 15 to allow police to compile witness statements.