The Papua New Guinea chief justice Sir Salamo Injia has been targeted in a sorcery-related attack.
The PNG chief justice Sir Salamo Injia Photo: Loop PNG
The newspaper The National reported that the attack happened at midday on Monday in Enga province, as Sir Salamo returned from a weekend in his village in the Tsak Valley.
The Enga acting police commander Epenes Nili said Sir Salamo Injia and his police escort came across a roadblock between his village Angutamanda and Wapenamenda.
Mr Nili said the escort was driving the lead car in the convoy and was no match for a large group of men at the roadblock in what was obviously a pre-planned attack.
He said the police were attacked as was Sir Salamo's vehicle as it turned back before safely returning the chief justice to his village.
However, the National reported information from an unnamed source that said Sir Salamo's car was badly damaged in the attack and that the chief justice suffered some injuries.
The source said roadblocks were set up at four places along the road specifically to trap the chief justice.
Mr Nili said police reinforcements came and cleared the roadblocks, arresting three of the leaders as the rest of the perpetrators fled.
He said two women from Sir Salamo's tribe were accused of recently killing a leader from the nearby Aluni tribe through sanguma, or sorcery.
Mr Nili said it was unfortunate Mr Sir Salamo had become the victim of a sanguma accusation which was becoming prevalent in Enga.
He said his men would not rest until the perpetrators were behind bars.
"They are wild animals who do not have any respect for the chief justice of the nation," Mr Nili told the National
The source said Sir Salamo was safe in his village but badly traumatised by the incident.