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Monday, February 05, 2007

RAMSI soldiers threaten to shoot local security officer at GBR gate on two separate occasions

A Solomon Islands local security officer has alleged that two military officers of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) have threatened to shoot him at the Guadalcanal Beach Resort boom-gate where he works as a security officer on two separate occasions.

The local security officer told SIBC News he was threatened on two separate occasions when he refused to open the gate to the soldiers who did not produce a GBR pass. He said the latest incident happened last week with a military truck carrying about 10 soldiers.

The man said the soldiers were angry because he demanded them to show their GBR passes. He said one got out of the vehicle and when he insisted that they show the right pass, the soldier got angry, pointed his gun at him and threatened to shot if he did not open the gate.

The man who works for a local security firm, sub-contracted by Patrick's Defence Logistics to provide security at the gate told SIBC he did not understand why the RAMSI military officers would not follow their own rules. He says it is a requirement that all vehicles and people passing through the gate must produce a GBR pass. He added this requirement was put on notice and posted at the gate.

The local officer says he's reported the matter to the management of Patrick's Defence Logistics and the Participating Police Force Protective Services, but says he fears they might not deal appropriately with the matter. He says, he had reported a similar incident to the same authorities in the past, but nothing has been done about it.

The man says he was convinced that had he not opened the gate, he would have been shot.

Meanwhile, the local security company being sub-contracted to secure the gate says it is aware of the incident and the person making the complaint actually works at the GBR boom-gate. Manager of City Security Service, Chris Maebiru says his company is yet to make a report on the incident and forward it to Patricks Defence Logistics.

Mr Maebiru says from initial reports he's received on the incident he is of the view that the security officer was only doing his job and had done nothing wrong. He says the security officer has all the right to demand people who pass through the boom gate to produce the right pass.

Mr Maebiru says the incident is causing fear among his boys who work at the GBR as security officers.

Source: SIBC

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