Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister says the police need to stop waiting for money from the government and do their jobs.
Peter O'Neill told a media conference in Port Moresby that police are supposed to carry out the duties they are already paid for by the government.
The newspaper, The National, reports that police have said they are still waiting for funding from the government to investigate the sinking of the Rabaul Queen, which killed as many as 161 people.
They want to conduct their own investigations to verify the findings contained in the September report of the Commission of Inquiry into the disaster.
But Mr O'Neill says the recommendations of the commission have been handed over to the police and other relevant authorities.
He says police were supposed to start arresting those who were implicated in the findings of the sinking of the vessel.