On January 10, Prime Minister Bill Skate said the killing...

On January 10, Prime Minister Bill Skate said the killing of a prime-ministerial staff member Mark Tigat on January 9, during a robbery, would have an impact on the Prime Minister's Department, because he was a well- respected member of the staff. He hoped police would bring the people responsible for Mr Tigat's death to justice. On January 11, city police commander John Wakon called on authorities to use the death penalty, following the Tigat killing. Responding to this request, on January 12, Attorney-General Michael Gene said the death penalty cannot be implemented yet because procedures for execution have not been established. When the amendment was made to the Criminal Code for the death penalty to include crimes such as willful murder and rape, it also provided for a procedure under which the penalty could be executed. The procedure included doctors, the supervision of death row prisoners, certification and the forms of execution, whether through lethal injection, hanging or a gas chamber. These procedures have to be brought into effect. Mr Gene said the public must also realize that the death penalty was introduced by the previous government when there were several killings involving prominent politicians and citizens and an increase in hard-core criminal activities in 1993 and 1994. He said such crimes are currently being kept to a moderate level, with mostly "opportunity crimes" being committed.