Namah denies carrying US$250m

DEPUTY Prime Minister Belden Namah has denied carrying US$250 million on the Air Niugini Falcon Jet flight to Port Moresby as claimed by the Indonesians, The National reports.
Namah said it was a joke and a shame for the Indonesian intelligence to say that he was laundering huge sums of money into the country.
“If they are talking about money-laundering, they need to look further and find out which country tops the list of money-laundering in the world.
"Not PNG.
“It is the first time to learn that someone in PNG was bringing a lot of money into the country and I deny that. I have never handled US$250 million,” Namah said.
“This is an outrageous defamation of my character as a vibrant young leader of this country.
“This is poor and rubbish intelligence,” he said.
Namah, who is a former PNG Defence Force captain, said he was a graduate intelligence officer and, for the Indonesians to say and act in an aggressive manner and use their military jets is an act of intimidation and aggression on a civil plane owned by the government of PNG.
He said the plane and the passengers’ belongings had to go through customs’ clearance, a requirement for all international flights in and out of a country.