PNG’s toughest opposition leader puts O’Neil regime under close scrutiny

Belden Namah (Left) & Peter O'Neil (Right)

By Joe WASIA

The massive K71.8m walked out of the finance and treasury departments and no one (including Members of Parliament) knew or had the guts to say anything about it. It was truly a blatant abuse and official corruption at best.

The money was allegedly paid to a law firm, Paul Paraka Lawyers, with the aid of the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil, Finance Minister James Marape, Treasure Don Polye and the officers from their departments.

The issue was not known to other MPs, bureaucrats and Papua New Guineans until a copy of the alleged letter from the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil somehow reached the Opposition leader Belden Namah and his minority group in Parliament. Mr Namah then lodged an official complain with the police for an urgent 

investigation into the matter.

Immediately after the report, the Prime Minister Peter O’Neil engaged Investigative Task Force Sweep Team to carryout the inquiry. That’s where the Parakagate saga investigation started. Thanks to Peter O’Neil and Belden Namah for initiating the investigation into this matter.

As we can see now, the issue is very complicated as it involves an allegation of official and system corruption by the departments and the people we call custodians of the people’s money.

The key figures in the Finance, Treasury, NEC & Prime Ministers office (Steven Gibson, O’Neil, Marape, Polye, Tosali, assistant secretaries, etc) were alleged to have conspired in this saga. No one had the guts to report the issue because they, one way or the other, alleged to have benefited from this K71.8M fraudulent payout.

Despite Namah’s public statement in several gatherings (such as “For the love for my people and motherland I will not be intimidated, harassed and suppressed by a desperate, despotic dictator. I will stand to fight against corruption and corrupt people without fear” as quoted from The PNG News page on Facebook), many people criticise him in other social media, forums, news papers etc.

Most Papua New Guineans now realised that opposition leader has done all he could do to unveil the truth. Let’s not look at his past, but look at how tough he is to put under close scrutiny some of those illegal practices by the very Honourable people whom many (within & abroad) have trust in them.

After the Paraka issue was reported, Mr Namah, as a plaintiff, did not favour ITFST to carry out this investigation because PM was one of the people alleged to have involved in this issue apart from James Marape and Don Polye and their officers.

The Opposition leader asked Mr O’Neil to relinquish the Police portfolio to other MPs many times, as the case was with police. However, PM has refused that and held on the position for almost 7 months. Many people have asked whether this means that PM has no confidence in other MPs apart from Nixon Duban (ousted Police Minister).

Well, we know that ITFS was formed, funded and aligned with the National Fraud Squad of Police department by the then O’Neil-Namah government during the political impasse in 2011. So Namah believed there would be bias in the investigation having O’Neil as the PM and the minister for Police at the same time.

Some people, especially those who are pro-government criticize Namah for his previous actions like Sydney casino sex scandal, Bewani deal for Vanimo forests, his action during political impasse to overthrow Somare regime in August 2, 2011, and action against PNG’s Chief Justice during the political impasse.

In social media and news paper’s viewpoint, FM radio talk back, and other forums, some people criticize Mr Namah saying he should stay away from this Parakagate saga. And he should not even take those preceding action against PM, ministers and police commissioner.

However, if Namah was silent all throughout this Parakagate saga, I don’t think one of those conspirers (either from Finance, Treasury, NEC and PM office) would come out and lodge complain against themselves, neither an MP would do that because it was something internal. It’s clearly shown by their silence throughout this serious issue.

What seems to be a shed to cover up, the Police Commissioner has obtained a search warrant against Namah and tapped his mobile phone after PC alleged that Mr Namah has undermined the police department in a letter addressed to his office.

If the RPNGC, as it used to be as an independent body performing its constitutional duties without fear or favour, one needs to ask why didn’t they tap Mr O’Neil’s phone before on Namah’s?

Why didn’t they do forensic test on PM’s signature against the alleged forged letter as said during the investigation? And why did they set O’Neil free after knowing that only courts has the power to convict or exonerate a suspect upon evidences? They should just present what they find in the investigation to the courts.

It seems that there is no transparency and independence. People have lost their confidence in the Police, Defence, and Justice Departments as the only law enforcing agents in the country because most of the officers from these departments have abused their constitutional duties.

Same things have been going on with the previous Somare government over almost 9 years. 

We may have only few people convicted in this parakagate saga and recoup the millions lost. But the tough scrutiny by this former military officer and the toughest opposition leader ever in PNG puts some MPs and ministers who operate on official and systematic corruption or who may think of doing it on panic button.

If PNG’s Opposition leader was another Deon, millions of kinas from people’s purse would walk out the same way without a MP or bureaucrat having a gut to say or report etc. Billions of kina have lost in the same way since independence.

Thumps up, Belden Namah! Thumps up the Investigation Task Force Sweep Team. We are with you. We believe truth will remain truth at the end. Do that job with the people at heart.