Ex-soldier behind Papua New Guinea mutiny arrested
FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2011 file photo, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill addresses the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York. Rebel soldiers seized the military's headquarters Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 and replaced Papua New Guinea's top defense official with their own leader, who gave O'Neill a week to step aside for his ousted predecessor. The self-proclaimed new leader of the country's defense forces, retired Col. Yaura Sasa, insisted he was not mounting a coup. But he warned that the military will take unspecified action unless O'Neill stands down and former prime minister Sir Michael Somare, is reinstated, as the national Supreme Court ordered last month. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2011 file photo, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill addresses the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York. Rebel soldiers seized the military's headquarters Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 and replaced Papua New Guinea's top defense official with their own leader, who gave O'Neill a week to step aside for his ousted predecessor. The self-proclaimed new leader of the country's defense forces, retired Col. Yaura Sasa, insisted he was not mounting a coup. But he warned that the military will take unspecified action unless O'Neill stands down and former prime minister Sir Michael Somare, is reinstated, as the national Supreme Court ordered last month. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
In this April 21, 2010 photo, former Papua New Guinean Prime Minister Michael Somare receives a traditional taiaha at an official welcome ceremony for him in Rotorua, New Zealand. Rebel soldiers seized the military's headquarters Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 and replaced Papua New Guinea's top defense official with their own leader, who gave Prime Minister Peter O'Neill a week to step aside for his ousted predecessor, Somare. (AP Photo/New Zealand Herald, Ben Fraser) NEW ZEALAND OUT, AUSTRALIA OUT
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) ? A retired colonel who attempted to take over Papua New Guinea's military and ordered the prime minister to step down has been arrested and charged with mutiny.
Police spokesman Dominic Kakas said Yaura Sasa was arrested Saturday night in a suburb of Port Moresby, the capital. A court spokesman said Sasa was charged with mutiny and appeared in court Sunday.
Sasa led a small group of soldiers in a mutiny Thursday in which the military's top commander was briefly held under house arrest. The mutiny was part of a power struggle in which Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and former Prime Minister Michael Somare claim to be the rightful leader of the South Pacific nation.
Sasa demanded that O'Neill step down within a week to make way for Somare, who appointed Sasa defense chief after being removed from office.
Kakas said the soldiers who followed Sasa had not been arrested.
Parliament replaced Somare with O'Neill in August while Somare was getting medical treatment outside the country. Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court sided with Somare last month, but O'Neill continues to have support from lawmakers.
Somare issued a statement Sunday repeating his call to be reinstated, and calling on police and the military to join him.
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