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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Kintau defends NAC operations

By BOSORINA ROBBY

NATIONAL Airports Corporation managing director Joe Kintau has denied allegations levelled against the company by Deputy Prime minister Belden Namah, The National reports.
 Kintau said the corporation did not like being threatened and intimidated by Namah and PNG Party president Robert Akunai, who gave the company a seven-day ultimatum to provide records of its operations.
“Before I refute all these allegations, I acknowledge the high office of the deputy prime minister and do not want to be seen as in contempt. I am not challenging anyone,” Kintau said.
“I just want a fair hearing as a result of these allegations spreading around regarding NAC as we believe we have not broken any laws.
“We do not support intimidation and appeal to the DPM and civil aviation minister to recognise that this is a professional organisation and everything is regulated by the governing Acts.”
Namah and Akunai last week called for an investigation into the NAC for alleged misconduct, misuse of funds, nepotism, illegal lease of state land, illegal awarding of contracts and the setting up of the Airport City Development Ltd.
Kintau said he would meet the seven-day ultimatum.
He said the important issue was that since 2009, the NAC had been intimidated by parliamentarians regarding the NAC-owned aerodrome lands.
“We having been fighting for awhile but I want to say that the aerodrome lands cannot be sold, unless specifically stated under the Aerodrome Act.
“These are internal matters and processes have been in place to monitor this.
“So I believe that the land may be the real issue here, which we are planning to use commercially under the Airport City Development Ltd concept,” he said.
Kintau said the concept was a strategic commercial plan to generate a revenue base to supplement that which was received from Air Niugini, which paid for over 90% of NAC’s operational costs.
“ACDL is 100% NAC-owned. It will be responsible for buildings, security and other airport development in this concept, but all land will remain with the NAC.
“This is a business strategy to reduce the risk on our core asset, and we believe we have not breached any laws on this issue,” he said.

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