Papua New Guinea's most senior ministers, Marape and Polye called in for questioning

Post Courier, 17th January, 2014

Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner Commissioner Tom Kulunga has asked Finance Minister James Marape and Treasurer Don Polye to go in for interviews over their alleged roles in legal fee payments to the firm Paul Paraka Lawyers.

 Marape (left) and Polye (right)

Mr Marape is expected to attend the interview today (Friday) while Minister Polye will go in on Monday.
This development comes on the back of a statement by Investigative Task Force Sweep (ITFS) chairman Sam Koim, who said the team concluded from its professional judgment and assessment, that they cannot pursue the Prime Minister’s alleged involvement in the payment.

The statement triggered the ire of Opposition Leader Hon Belden Namah, who said the Investigative Task Force Sweep chairman was acting outside his jurisdiction and his group was not a "competent authority", like the Royal PNG Constabulary or a court of law. The investigation results on PM did not go well with the Opposition Leader.

A properly constituted court of law is the only tribunal of fact which can determine on evidence and in accordance with law whether Mr O’Neill wrote the directive letter of January 24, 2012 or not,’’ he said.

Chronic corruption has left the people with decades of darkness

By Joe WASIA

Where is my tax-free city? Where is zero-city? Where are my sealed roads? Where are my modern hospitals? Colleges? Airports? Bridges? Schools?

My beautiful Hela, the home of the much talked giant PNG-LNG project, has nothing to show after four years of beautiful memorandums of understandings and benefits sharing agreements.

My lifestyle is unchanged. It is no different than decades before. The agreement papers have turned blank. It’s like elementary kids playing around with pencil and paper and leaving them unwanted and unattended.
I’m not surprised because Hela is just another of those many resource-rich provinces in Papua New Guinea packed in that same fantasy basket.

The poor Papua New Guineans will continue to live with no or degrading infrastructure and services while the politicians and bureaucrats burrow in the corridors of Waigani performing illegal financial transactions to build their family kingdoms while their five-year term lasts.

Unless we have cameras forecasting every secret deals, the monies will continue ending up in pit holes

Peter O’Neill’s 2012-2017 Cabinet-Papua New Guinea

After a brief wait, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has finally revealed his 33-Member National Executive Council (NEC) – or Cabinet.

The line up is heavily dominated by O’Neill’s winning People’s National Congress which boasts 13 Ministers. This is followed by Don Polye’s THE Party which has 4; William Duma’s United Resources Party has 3.

Patrick Pruaitch’s National Alliance, Sir Julius Chan’s People’s Progress Party, and Peter Ipatas’ People’s Party all have 2 ministers each; and Our Development Party, United Party, People’s Indigenous Party, People’s Democratic Movement, and Social Democratic Party are all represented by 1 ministerial post each.

Rounding up the 33 are 2 candidates who ran as Independents in PNG Election 2012 – Hon Richard Maru and Hon Kerenga Kua.

Papua New Guinea's 2014 school fee limits set by the National Eduation Board

Post-Courier, 08th January 2014

School fees for 2014 for public schools have been approved by the Papua New Guinea National Education Board.

Michael Tapo, ES

In a notice this week the Education secretary Michael Tapo announced that the National Education Board decided to increase the National Government’s tuition fee component by 10 per cent to further relieve parents of their difficulties in providing for their families in light of the devaluation of the kina and the high inflation rate.

For instance, in 2013 the National Education Board’s maximum fee limit for elementary prep to elementary two was K100. With the 10 per cent inflation this year, the total government contribution is K110.

Every child attending approved permitted schools will receive a one off payment of K100 and every disabled child will receive a one-off payment of K200.

The board also saw the importance of schools having a conducive learning environment and has agreed that schools with the approval of the provincial education boards can charge a fee of up to K200.Mr Tapo said no schools are allowed to charge more than K200.

Namah gives Kulunga 72 hrs to arrest Prime Minister

Post-Courier, 07th January, 2014

Oppositon Leader Belden Namah has given Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga a 72-hour ultimatum to execute the warrant of arrest on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill or face contempt of court.

Belden Namah, OL

Mr Namah called a media conference yesterday to express concerns over the failure by the Police Commissioner and the police force to execute the warrants of arrest on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Treasurer Don Polye and Finance Minister James Marape. 
The warrants were issued by the Waigani Grade 5 Court in December. "The warrant that was issued on December 4, 2013, as a result of a formal complaint I laid with the Commissioner of Police alleging blatant abuse of official authority and illegal direction by the Prime Minister in directing payment (to a law firm named)."

"This I view as high level official corruption by the Prime Minister, his ministers and the departmental heads who together in my view have committed fraud on a similar scale to the NPF saga." He said when the complaint was laid, the Detective Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru entered it on record in the police occurrence book, and was given the fraud crime report number 185 of 2013. He said as a result of that complaint, police through their investigations have concluded that these three gentlemen have a case to answer to.

Papua New Guinea PM, and 2 senior MPs face arrest

Three sets of warrants are out for the arrest of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Treasurer Don Polye and Finance Minister James Marape.

Trio alleged to have facilitated the K71.8M payment

According to court documents given to the Post-Courier, the warrants were issued by the Waigani District Court in November last year on the complaint of a detective senior constable with the National Fraud and Anti Corruption Directorate, Robert Ewail.

To reinforce the earlier warrant, senior const Ewail has taken out another order from the same court in December, this one restraining his superiors and the Royal PNG Constabulary top brass, including the Police Commissioner from issuing formal, informal, written or verbal directives to prevent, delay or frustrate the execution of the warrant for arrest of the trio.

Source: Post Courier, 07/01/2014

University of Papua New Guinea students abuse Prominent Lawyer on a Facebook row

Martin Namarong, Monday, November 14, 2011

Ms Tiffany Twivvey of Twivey Lawyers has been at the center of a row on Facebook. 

The row began after a debate was started on facebook over the private matter of former Political Power figures.

Here are some names Human Resource Managers of any respectable company should be weary off. Donald John, Marlon Abau and Elias Kepa - all males who claim to be students at the University of Papua New Guinea. They basically had zero debating skills and sought to threaten and abuse Ms Twivvey and others over their opposition to views held by these three amigos.

After piling on the abuses on another commentator, they shift to Ms Twivvey after her pleas for decency. Notice how the three of them start of the thread like heroes and towards the end reveal themselves to be the cowards that they truly are. 

Let’s hope the University of Papua New Guinea deals with them appropriately and recover it’s tarnished image. Ms Twivey will be referring the matter to the University Disciplinary Council.

A simple ‘siki mangi’ aiming for Papua New Guinea’s prime minister post in 2017 elections

By Joe WASIA

Aims and visions of a person are the most driving factors that elevate him/her to higher altitude in life. That is, when a person sets his visions and aims right and work towards it, it comes to pass. Here is one of those gentlemen with such a great vision to climb up to Papua New Guinea’s top chief executive officer post.

Mr Yamo Waaarh

A simple ‘siki mangi’ with one of the contractor companies in PNG LNG Project targets the PNG’s top executive post in the coming 2017 National Elections.

Mr Yamo Waaarh a 34 year old from Ialibu Pangia electorate in Southern Highlands Province said he is confident that he will win his open electorate with big margin beating Peter O’Neil, the sitting MP and the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.

 Peter O’Neil and Mr Waaarh hail from the same Pangia electorate and they are born Southern Highlanders. They are from neighbouring tribes sharing same land boundaries. He said he will make it to the top despite his current personal status and opposing perceptions that people may have in him.

Many readers to this site reading the article may wonder how this simple ‘siki mangi’ aiming at the country’s high executive post. But remember, it is the aims and visions with right character and attitude that can do multitude beyond human understanding.

Money laundering and official corruption in Papua New Guinea has resulted in millions of kina loss

For many years millions of Papua New Guinea's monies have been lost through investment overseas. And they have been left unattended.

As revealed by Task Force Sweep according to an article by Kela Kapkora on PNG Attitude some K200 million of Papua New Guinea’s money has been invested in Australia by fat cats through corruption and money laundering.
It further stated that 67 people have been arrested so far by Sam Koim (inserted) and Task Force Sweep (TFS) and K170 million has been recovered in PNG and up north.

Now some people (especially their 'wantoks') are crying out loud through some media that TFS is putting every Papua New Guineans investing in Australia into same bucket when they are not supposed to be victimized. They use internet access to defend their friends on different websites and PNG's local newspapers.

Since investigations into those investments started, many of these investors are named and the cases are before the court. The investigations are aided by the Australian Federal Police into assets and bank accounts in Australia. Thanks to federal police and the government of Australia.

Those Papua New Guineans should simply leave this country for Aussie or elsewhere. They can't even appreciate the role of TFS like millions of Papua New Guineans and the neighbouring countries do.