by DANIEL SAKUMAI
Good Morning!
Thank you for your time.
Daniel Sakumai
Monday, September 08, 2008
Science and technology
Key suspect in Taiwan scandal indicted, stays behind bars
Bonga, now the high-profile Public Accounts Committee chairman, and Dr Gubon were alleged to have negotiated with Taipei for diplomatic recognition at a price of US$29.8 million.
Bonga was Eda Ranu boss at that time
The allegation has been categorically denied and the national government is currently tightlipped on the issue.
Taipei Times reported at the weekend that Taipei chief prosecutor Huang Mo-hsin indicted Wu Shih-tsai, on charges of falsifying bank statements and lying to the police after he made up a story about being threatened by an unidentified gunman.
“Prosecutors decided that the evidence was sufficient to find him guilty, so we decided to indict him today,” said Lin Chin-chun, spokesman for the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, said during a press conference on Friday.
Wu has been in custody since May 6.According to Taipei Times, the procedure states that once indicted, the defendant must be immediately released, but Wu remained in detention after a request for an extension was granted by Taipei District Court Judge Chang Yung-hung after evidence found that he was trying to leave the country.
Wu and Ching Chi-ju, the other main suspect in the diplomatic scandal, were commissioned in August 2006 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former National Security Council secretary-general Chiou I-jen to act as intermediaries in an attempt to forge diplomatic relations with Papua New Guinea.
Taipei Times reports the Taiwanese Foreign Affairs Ministry agreed to wire US$29.8 million into Wu and Ching’s bank account at a branch of OCBC Bank in Singapore.
The funds were to be transferred to the Papua New Guinea government once the two nations had signed a diplomatic communiqué.
Sir Michael Somare was the prime minister at the time of the alleged scandalTaiwan failed to develop relations and in December 2006 the ministry asked for its money back.
Ching allegedly refused to return the funds and has since disappeared, reports Taipei Times.Chiou, former minister of foreign affairs James Huang and former deputy minister of national defense Ko Cheng-heng all resigned over their involvement in the diplomatic scheme.
Ching, who is a US citizen, is believed to be at large in the US.
Officials also continue to investigate whether former Huang and including former vice premier Chiou I-jen, among other senior officials in the previous government, should be indicted, too.
“This case concerned a lot of money, which was wired to foreign bank accounts,” Chief Prosecutor Huang Mo-hsin said.
“We have not finished our investigation or determined where the money is.”
Prosecutors said they were investigating whether any government officials, including former vice premier Chiou I-jen and former minister of foreign affairs James Huang, were involved in the case.
On May 6, Huang filed a detention request against Wu on charges of corruption, which was granted by the district court.
Wu should have been released last Friday, when the detention period expired, but prosecutors requested an extension on other charges.
“The forgery, and Wu’s lying to the police, made for a solid case for us to keep him,” Huang said.
Wu at one point defended his actions to police by saying he had been threatened at gunpoint.
Thoughts on 33 years of independence
By MATHEW YAKAI
There are times to say ‘thank you’ and today is the time.
When people go through life, one day they always sit back to think and appreciate what happened yesterday.
For me, September 16th will be the special day for PNG and my life because I have the greatest opportunity to say thank you to a man I owe a lot.
He is none other then the Grand Chief and Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.
The incumbent was the founder of my beautiful country.
Despite the economic and social turmoil we as a country went through because great man like Chief Somare and others always had confidence in this country of ours.
The aliens said we will fail.
But we said no, we will go ahead.
PNG is an example of a black nation that can stand for 33 years.
And now is the day, after 33 years and we are still going.
When loved one dies, we spell out condolences and speak high of his achievements and what he does for others.
When Chief Somare dies one day, the nation will moan, the region will be shocked and the world will convey their condolences.
That is the Somare, 33 years ago found this nation, today is our Chief, amongst all the chiefs from the highlands down to the coasts and across the oceans.
It’s no use conveying my appreciation of what Chief Somare has done for us as a country when he dies tomorrow.
Today is the time to say ‘thank you’.
While Chief is able to read this appreciation, I would like to salute my Chief, my Prime Minister and my mentor.
PNG will remember you, and I will treasure you.
Thank you for taking PNG from independence to today.
Histories are not made by nations but made by great thinkers with wisdoms and leaderships.
Chief Somare, you have just done that.
PNG celebrates its 33 years of
PNG will remember you in the thousand years to come.
You gave me the blood, the heart and the soul to be a proud Papua New Guinean.
I love my country and the people of PNG.
Let’s join our hands and work together as brothers and sisters for the betterment of our great nations.
God bless PNG.
Mathew Yakai
Thoughts on 33 years of independence
By DAVID KETEPA ULG
Below, is my two cents on the above topic you posted on your blog.
Have a wonderful Sunday evening.
A very good night from this end of the planet.
After 33 years of independence, I ponder and ask, why have we done so poorly after all these years?
I see the name 'independence' as a window curtain and inside the house is empty because there isn't any tangible developments throughout all corners of PNG especially when you look at rural areas in terms of infrastructure and service delivery.
The motive is clear. I think there are three impediments which I think that undermine the foundation of development for PNG to prosper.
1. Politics - It has advantages and disadvantages at all levels of government. With more than 20 political parties, it is difficult to work collectively with like-minded leaders to ensure good governance when their policies are not transparent and implemented, while their agendas and motives are diverse. Cheap political point scoring and power hungry politics is one thing and vivacious, candid and unprejudiced politics is another. For the past 32 years, it seems to us that the former was ubiquitous. We can make little progress if the number of political parties is minimised with few parties with sound policies to lead the country with less politics. No matter what political party an MP is affiliated to, all who form the government must be loyal to each other to work collaboratively to fully implement the Government’s policies;
2. Corruption - Is a result, it is not a cause. To deal effectively with corruption, one must not look at treating the symptoms of corruption but must deal with the cause. Effective prosecution and punishment is not dealing with the cause but the symptom. In the public eye, the outcomes of some of these high profile cases are dubious. The judiciary system needs to have more teeth. The Government’s Medium Term Development Strategy will bear fruit when the law has its course. If prosecutions were done accordingly, perhaps it should send a chilling message to daylight robbers who habitually embezzle from the public coffers. The most important tool to minimise corruption is being honest to yourself, your fellow country man/woman and the nation at large; and
3. Mismanagement - For all variety of reasons, honesty and integrity are becoming noble words in this day and age. No matter how much honesty it takes, greed and shrewdness in dealings are common symptoms that need to be eliminated by a vibrant law and justice sector. Mismanagement and corruption may go hand in hand and they both are here to stay for the reason that leaders and people in positions of trust cannot be trusted. The current scenario in the Finance Department and countless similar cases yet to be solved and those implicated needs to be prosecuted are classic examples. What the situation requires is for all of us to work together. Ultimately, as Papua New Guineans, we must stop pushing members for handouts because they will manipulate their RDF and non-discretionary electoral funds to give what the people want and that will distort development plans for the each province and PNG at large. Unless the above factors are confronted head-on, PNG will not prosper maybe for another 33 years or who knows; maybe decades.
David Ketepa Ulg
Friday, September 05, 2008
I'd like to know your thoughts on 33 years of Independence
Hi to all you guys and gals out there.
On Tuesday, September 16,
It has been a turbulent 33 years and I’d like to have your thoughts.
Either make a comment at the bottom of this post or email me on malumnalu@gmail.com so that I can put together all your thoughts as a vox pop before the big day in 11 days time.
Malum
Where were you in 1975?
Independence proclamation by Governor-General Sir John Guise at 12am on September 16, 1975
Girl guides float in Goroka
In Goroka a possession of floats presented a spectacular display
Return to Goroka...my late wife Hula and I in our vegetable garden in Goroka, 1999 That is the question many people will be asking each other as Papua New Guinea celebrates 33 years of independence on September 16 this year.
Many others – the majority – will simply say “I wasn’t even born then”.
I was in Goroka in 1975 and can fondly say that it was one of the best years of my life.
The first thing that struck me about Goroka was the beautiful flowers, shrubs and roaring streams.
I was then seven years old, bound to turn eight later that momentous year, but the memories are still there – albeit fading – 33 years on.
The family of my mum, dad, elder sister, elder brother, my younger sister and me disembarked from an Air Niugini F27 Fokker Friendship one cold January morning in 1975.
I took my first breath – fresh, cool and clean mountain air – of what would be our home for the next three years until the end of 1977.
Back in 1975, mum, dad and my elder siblings were no newcomers to Goroka and the then Eastern Highlands District.
Mum and dad came here as newly weds to Iufi Iufa primary school, Asaro Valley, in the early 1960s.
My father Mathias was a school inspector and an ex-Dregerhafen and Sogeri schoolmate of one Michael Somare while my Moasing mother was a missionary-trained nurse.
It was here that my elder sister Alison and my elder brother David were born.
I have so many pleasant memories of growing up in Goroka.
In those pre-independence and immediate post-independence days, colonialism was still in the air, hence, there being so many expatriates.
Goroka was a neat, well-planned colonial town, which – like Lae and Kainantu – was built around the airport.
And the airport then was a hive of activity, especially given Goroka being the base of Dennis Buchanan’s Talair and ex-Vietnam veteran Mal Smith’s Pacific Helicopters.
Throwing Frisbees and flying kites in the park, riding bikes, chasing muna (those seasonal beetles eaten by the locals), buying sweets, comic and books at West Goroka and dreaming on those endless summer afternoons in December were among our great passions.
Comic book trading – Donald Duck, Phantom, Walt Disney, Ritchie Rich, Casper The Friendly Ghost, Wendy The Good Little Witch, Bugs Bunny…and I could go on and on with the characters – was a way of life among us kids in those days.
I have no qualms that I learned more English and the nuances of grammar from those comic books than from school.
Professional boxing was all the rage in those days of inimitable fighters like Martin Beni, the late John Aba, his brother Tony, Mark Apai and the lot.
Through the late Norm Salter – the great fight promoter – Goroka was able to host its share of professional and amateur bouts as well as wrestling matches featuring men, women and even midgets from overseas.
Goroka’s YC Hall was the equivalent of Madison Square Gardens in the US - the true centre of boxing in the country.
The YC was also the centre stage for basketball in those days with national championships being held there in 1975, 1976 and 1977.
The showground, now the National Sports Institute, saw bone crushing rugby league matches as well as aerial rules football contests.
Of course, nothing in Goroka would be complete without the annual show, a colorful extravaganza of singsings, agricultural produce and those wonderful show bags we loved so much.
The West Goroka Theatre, now the NSI gymnasium, was where we would sit on old coffee bags and watch those good old Bruce Lee and James Bond movies, as well as thrillers like Airport ’75, Jaws, Towering Inferno and King Kong – the place being literally packed to the rafters.
Radio then was king – there being no such thing as EMTV or video – and it was a joy to listen to the Sunday night dramas, Grade 10 quizzes and the live coverage of rugby league and other sports on the National Broadcasting Commission’s Medium Wave transmission.
Yes, indeed, life was a wonderful dream for us who grew up in Goroka at the time.
Of course, in 1975, independence was in the air.
Young men who championed the cause, like Michael Somare, were treated with disdain by the lapuns and old colonials, who argued that independence would be a catastrophe.
Little PNG flags and independence t-shirts and caps were very fashionable.
At school the teacher, a beautiful Hula, Central province woman called Mrs Manoka, would ask us, one by one, to give our individual oratories about this thing called ‘Independence’.
That year, in April, there was excitement all around the brand new PNG currency was introduced.
Shiny 10 and 20 toes coins were all the rage among us kids.
The venerable Australian dollars and cents, which had become part of our lives, continued to be legal tender until after independence.
Also that eventful year, by quirk of fate, a big frost in Brazil – the world’s biggest coffee producer – saw prices skyrocket.
It was a cause to celebrate with fortunes being made overnight, especially in the Highlands.
At the West Goroka shopping centre just down the road from where we lived, it was a common sight to see villagers in as tanget (leaf coverings, which were worn widely in those days instead of clothes) with huge wads of cash going on an orgy of spending, buying big cow legs, beer and stereos for the inevitable parties that followed.
My uncle, the coffee tycoon Jack Amos, made millions overnight and celebrated by travelling to the Phillipines to watch that famous ‘Thrilla in Manilla’ world heavyweight championship bout between Muhammed Ali and ‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier.
These all added to the big party that was 1975.
September 15, 1975, was the last day for PNG to come under colonial rule
We sat up until 12am on September 16, when Governor-General Sir John Guise did the Proclamation of Independence, broadcast live over the ever-reliable NBC:
“Papua New Guinea is now independent.
“The Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, under which all powers rest with the people, is now in effect.
“We have at this point in time broken with out colonial past and we now stand as an independent nation in our own right.
“Let us unite, with almighty God’s guidance and help, in working together for a future as a strong and free country.”
And then the fireworks exploded into the Goroka night sky to herald the start of a new day, a new era and a new Nation-State.
It was a time for celebration, but also a poignant occasion, as the Australian flag came down for the last time.
In addition, many a tear was shed by the lapun man/meri (old men/women) as that great icon of colonialism was lowered.
Today, 33 years later, Goroka is still a beautiful place.
In fact, I spent four years there from 1998 to 2002, finding myself back on my childhood stomping grounds.
It was like arriving at a place I’d never left!
Memories of another day, those oh-so-happy childhood days, came rushing back.
And nostalgia filled my heart every time I saw something that reminded me of those blissful days.
Goroka still hasn’t lost its basic shape of 1975, 1976 and 1977 and still has that colonial feel about it.
Goroka, to me, is home.
After all, my siblings and I were born, raised and educated here.
In later years, my late wife and I spent four wonderful years in Goroka, and it was there that my two elder sons were born.
I dream of a golden future for this pleasantly agreeable town with its perennial spring climate, majestic sentinel-like mountains and bouquet of perfumed flowers.
Happy 33rd Birthday Goroka and Papua New Guinea and God Bless You real good!
UK trek group to return
A UNITED Kingdom (UK) based volunteer group Trek Force, will return to
The group left last month after completing a two-month tourism trekking project along the Black Cat Trail in the Morobe province.
Black Cat Trail extends from Wau to Salamaua.
While trekking, the group also provided basic health and education services to the locals along the way.
Trek Force leader Dr Tom Sheddon said Black Cat turned out to be a very challenging feat for the young volunteers, most of who were in their early 20s.
Dr Sheddon said his team also did jungle survival training, trekking and diving and were looking forward to returning to PNG in November.
Defence says no Kokoda Track airman, just a mossy branch
An image of what was thought to be a moss-covered skeleton. Photo: Lisa FabreWednesday, September 03, 2008
Google launches open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox
Google this week launched an open source web browser to compete with Internet Explorer and Firefox.
The browser is designed to be fast, and to cope with the next generation of web applications that rely on graphics and multimedia.
Called Chrome, it will launch as a beta for Windows machines in 100 countries, with Mac and Linux versions to come.
Using Google on Wednesday this week, I noticed that Chrome was available for immediate download, and managed to do just that.
Chrome is designed to handle not just text and graphics, but more complex computer programmes.
Chrome, which Google made available in 43 languages in 100 countries at http://www.google.com/chrome , has been designed to download software and render Web pages faster than existing browsers.
And it allows users to keep working even when one of its open windows crashes.
This is Google's long-anticipated bid to compete with Microsoft Corp, whose rival Internet Explorer dominates three-quarters of the Web browsing market.
Google has backed Mozilla Corp's Firefox browser, which holds about 18 percent of the market.
"We realised... we needed to completely rethink the browser,” Google’s vice-president of product marketing Sundar Pichai said in a blog post.
The new browser will help Google take advantage of developments it is pushing online in rich web applications that are challenging traditional desktop programs.
It's certainly the biggest news in the browser space since Firefox started to dent Internet Explorer's lead and many people see this as a re-ignition of the browser wars
Google has a suite of web apps, such as documents, Picasa and maps which offer functionality that is beginning to replace offline software.
“At Google, we spend much of our time working inside a browser,” according to Google.
“We search, chat, email and collaborate in a browser.
“And like all of you, in our spare time, we shop, bank, read news and keep in touch with friends - all using a browser.
“People are spending an increasing amount of time online, and they're doing things never imagined when the web first appeared about 15 years ago.
“Since we spend so much time online, we began seriously thinking about what kind of browser could exist if you started from scratch and built on the best elements out there.
“We realised that the web had evolved from mainly simple text pages to rich, interactive applications and that we needed to completely rethink the browser.
“What we really needed was not just a browser, but also a modern platform for web pages and applications, and that's what we set out to build.
“So today we're releasing the beta version of a new open source browser: Google Chrome.
“On the surface, we designed a browser window that is streamlined and simple.
“To most people, it isn't the browser that matters.
“It's only a tool to run the important stuff - the pages, sites and applications that make up the web.
“Like the classic Google homepage, Google Chrome is clean and fast.
“It gets out of your way and gets you where you want to go.
“Under the hood, we were able to build the foundation of a browser that runs today's complex web applications much better.
“By keeping each tab in an isolated ‘sandbox’, we were able to prevent one tab from crashing another and provide improved protection from rogue sites.
“We improved speed and responsiveness across the board.
“We also built V8, a more powerful JavaScript engine, to power the next generation of web applications that aren't even possible in today's browsers.
“This is just the beginning - Google Chrome is far from done.
“We've released this beta for Windows to start the broader discussion and hear from you as quickly as possible.
“We're hard at work building versions for Mac and Linux too, and we'll continue to make it even faster and more robust.
“We owe a great debt to many open source projects, and we're committed to continuing on their path.
“We've used components from Apple's WebKit and Mozilla's Firefox, among others - and in that spirit, we are making all of our code open source as well.
“We hope to collaborate with the entire community to help drive the web forward.
“The web gets better with more options and innovation.
“Google Chrome is another option, and we hope it contributes to making the web even better.”
I found out that the range of software available on ‘Google Pack Software’ includes Google Earth, Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer, Norton Security Scan, Spyware Doctor Starter Edition, Google Desktop, Picasa, Mozilla Firefox with Google Toolbar, Google Photos Screensaver, Adobe Reader, Google Talk, Skype, RealPlayer and StarOffice.
The launch of a beta version of Chrome on Tuesday, September 2, 2008, will be Google's latest assault on Microsoft's dominance of the PC business.
The firm's Internet Explorer program dominates the browser landscape, with 80% of the market.
National Pledge
We, the people of
pledge ourselves united in one nation.
We pay homage to our cultural heritage,
the source of our strength.
We pledge to build a democratic
society, based on justice, equality,
respect and prosperity for our people.
We pledge to stand together as One People, One Nation, One Country
God bless Papua New Guinea
National Emblem
The National Emblem or Crest adorns all official documents, stationery and even buildings.
It features a Raggiana Bird of Paradise, perhaps the most popular and distinctive bird of paradise known with its plumes in full display.
The Raggiana holds a kundu drum and a ceremonial spear.
The words
The emblem is described in the National Identity Ordinance of 1971.
The emblem is representative of all parts of the country since the symbols on it are well known throughout all regions of
The emblem was designed under the direction of Hal Halmann, who was a senior designer for the Office of Information during the years leading to
Mr Holman’s more recent works include the busts of Sir Michael Somare outside the entrance to Parliament and the metal sculpture of the Raggiana on
Singing Of Joy to Be Free
The national song calling the sons (and daughters) of
Unlike the National Flag and Emblem which were adopted four years earlier, the National Anthem was not decided until just a week before Independence Day.
It was even mooted that there would be no national song until after
The National Executive Council decided only on
The words are:
O arise all you sons of this land
Let us sing of our joy to be free
Praising God and rejoicing to bee
Shout our name from the mountains to sea
Let us raise our voices and proclaim
Now give thanks to the good Lord above
For His kindness, His wisdom and love
For this land of our fathers so free
Shout again for the whole world to hear
We’re Independent and we’re free
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Late Christopher Kaines was an experienced pilot
Christopher Kaines...an experienced pilotThere are several unanswered questions as to the flight plan given to the Civil Aviation Authority, the air worthiness of the Cessna, why the operator has disappeared since the death of Chris, is there any truth that Chris was carrying mercury and a large amount of money when he crashed, and many more, including questions on the involvement of certain groups and individuals.
Reporters probing the crash been hitting a brick wall at CAA when trying to get information on the crash.
Chris was a very experienced aviator, whose feats are the stuff of legend, including busting gun smuggling operations in Western province with police, once landing on the Hiritano Highway when his engine failed, who in 2006 year flew a private plane from the USA to PNG, and whose ambition in life was to buy his own plane and run a charter operation.
His best friends were from Butibum village in Lae, and he grew up with us, played with us, and drank with us as we were all one family until his tragic passing.
We will always remember this athletic, handsome and easy-going young man who had a huge passion for life.
Chris Kaines was born at Minj in the Western Highlands province but grew up at Mendi in Southern Highlands,
His father was a police sergent from Siassi while his mother was from Iokea village in the Gulf province,
Chris was a very experienced aviator.
After his training in a private flying school in Australia, self-sponsored, he flew crop dusters.
He flew for various charter operators in PNG.
Once, he ran into engine trouble and landed somewhere near Yule Island, on the Hiritano Highway, and after repairs, took off again.
When police needed an aircraft and a pilot to bust a gun-smuggling operation in the Western province side of the border, they were recommended Chris as the pilot and they still speak highly of that operation and the skills of the pilot.
“Chris was a very adventurous person,” said his brother-in-law and Post-Courier journalist Newman Cuthbert, who delivered the eulogy at his funeral service in Port Moresby last week, before the body was taken home to Siassi,
“He never joined Air Niugini or a commercial airline because he wanted to be in command of his own aircraft.
“He was not cut out to cart passengers but was attracted by the prospect of flying into remote locations and challenged the dangers of the weather and dangerous terrain of PNG head on.
“Chris always told my missus - his sister - when she told him time and time again of her concern of him operating small aircraft in remote locations: ‘Big sis I know what I am doing’.
“Danger and death was the most remote thing on all our minds for Chris.
“He had a lot of friends - those he grew up with and kept close to his roots.
“When logging was introduced to Siassi and as part of a family of principal land owners, Chris expressed concern about illegal logging and made it known at family discussions that the family members at home should never be manipulated by foreign logging companies but should benefit.
“‘We must receive our share of royalties but our old people must benefit before their time is up’ he used to tell missus.
“Chris left his first wife Betty and married her cousin also called Betty from whom he had three children.
“The father passed away two years ago and Chris flew his body home to Siassi.
“As a child he loved adventure movies like cowboys and Indians, and if there was something that looked complicated, he wanted to know what made it work.
“Recently, with another pilot friend, he took delivery of an aircraft from the USA and flew it home to PNG.
“His ambition was to buy his own plane and operate a charter company.
“He wanted the family and clan involved and we were all in the process of looking at that prospect.
“His best friends came from Butibum.
“He grew up with them, played with them drank with them and it was his other family.”
Unanswered questions surround death of pilot
Unanswered questions surround death of Chris KainesLocal Myola villagers may now hold the key to this plane crash which has been shrouded in mystery until Kaines’s body was taken home to his beloved Siassi Island last week.
There are several unanswered questions as to the flight plan given to the Civil Aviation Authority, the air worthiness of the Cessna, why the operator has disappeared since the death of Kaines, is there any truth that he was carrying mercury and a large amount of money when he crashed, and many more, including questions on the involvement of certain groups and individuals.
Reporters probing the crash been hitting a brick wall at CAA when trying to get information on the crash.
Kaines was a very experienced aviator, whose feats are the stuff of legend, including busting gun smuggling operations in Western province with police, once landing on the Hiritano Highway when his engine failed, who in 2006 year flew a private plane from the USA to PNG, and whose ambition in life was to buy his own plane and run a charter operation.
The procedure for a flight plan is:
· Each aircraft prior to departure to a destination needs to produce a flight
plan to flight services of the Civil Aviation Agency for approval.
· The flight plan states the flight, pilot, and all relevant details like
destination.
· The control tower is responsible for clearing the aircraft for take off and monitors its flight to and from its destination.
· If the aircraft fails to report, the tower raises the alarm and Civil Aviation
organises the rescue.
In the case of Kaines:
. He himself did not produce the flight plan but somebody may have and deliberately changed details so as to have Civil Aviation approve the flight.
. The aircraft used was one that was used by trainee pilots.
. The operator (named) did have an airworthy certificate issued against the particular aircraft.
. It was to train pilots in so whoever produced the flight plan stated himself as the flight instructor and Kaines as trainee in order to get approval.
. No aircraft and pilot under instruction is authorised to carry passenger and cargo.
“(Named operator) was to have flown the aircraft himself as per the flight plan,” a source told me.
“His name may have appeared as the pilot but let Chris (Kaines) on this flight alone.
“That is why when the aircraft crashed, information out of Civil Aviation stated that the aircraft had as flight instructor an expatriate and a PNG trainee pilot.
“Chris spells his name as Chris Kaines, which is very foreign indeed
“”But (named operator) never took that flight and according to the flight plan he was supposed to do so.
“We learnt this from Chris’s wife”
“The bottom line is that (named operator) deceived Chris and deliberately misled Civil Aviation into approving the flight plan and get clearance to make the flight.
“We now know Chris had already made several flights into the area before the crash.
“On the one before the crash, he reported a faulty radio.
“This was brought to the attention of a particular engineer with Heavy Lift who questioned this aircraft to which he was to install the radio.
“When he did he was told it was the one sitting at Nadzab because of some legal complication.
“But than he was also told that it belonged to Northwest Air.
The source said several questions arose including:
. How close was the operator to Kaines?
. What was the arrangement between the two men?
. How much did Kaine’s wife know of this arrangement?
. Was there money involved or a commitment made?
. What was the cargo?
. How many previous flights to the area?
. Who in Civil Aviation knew of this flight and yet approved the flight plan?
. Why did the operator mislead Civil Aviation in stating that it was a training flight?
. Was the rescue authorised by CAA or did the operator take it upon himself to carry out the rescue?
. Why did the crash occur at 11am and the wife was told at midnight?
. What is the interest of police and did CAA authorize police into the rescue operation?
. Why the special attention of police in the crash of this aircraft??
. Why was the pilot’s body not retrieved?
. When Airlines PNG flew into Maiola to take Kaine’s body, police also accompanied that flight. Why?
“Chris (Kaines) became State property but Civil Aviation gave all of us the run around,” the source said.
“No funds to send him to Sydney and even up until the final hour, funds were not available to release the body.
“(Named operator) has suddenly gone into hiding.”
Monday, September 01, 2008
WWII pilot's skeleton found hanging in Kokoda Track tree
The tree where what is believed to be the body of a WWII pilot has been found on the Kokoda Track in papua New Guinea.A group of hikers lead by Melbourne man David Collins, of No Roads Expeditions, made the astonishing find on Thursday August 21.
"We had just left Templeton’s Crossing and had walked up over the top of Mt Bellamy and were coming back down to the next camp ground when some of the hikers stopped to take photos of the natural canopy above the trail.
"One of them zoomed in on what appeared to be a body. He had zoomed in on it and when the wind blew you could see what looked like a body, and it appeared to be hanging by a cable.’’
Mr Collins said the body was covered in moss and almost impossible to distinguish initially.
"I couldn’t make it out at first. It was quite high up, about 12 to 15 metres. Then the wind blew again and I saw it move.
"It appears to be sitting in an aluminium harness and hanging from a cable, which leads us to believe it could be an airman.’’
Mr Collins, who was walking the historic track for the seventh time when the discovery was made, said it could be a significant find.
"If it is a body, then it’s a very significant find. There will be a family somewhere who had a family member missing in action who might be able to put that person to rest.’’
"There were a lot of missing soldiers in that area. You know you are walking past the graves of many people.’’
Authorities are now investigating.
Cheaper Fuel “Good News” for Papua New Guinea
The reduction is across the board and covers kerosene, diesel and gasoline as well as jet fuel and zoom.
InterOil President Bill Jasper has described it as “good news for the entire nation”.
Mr Jasper said all of InterOil customers will benefit from the August fuel price structure.
“Our government, business and aviation clients will breathe a little easier today”.
“Motorists and domestic users, the backbone of our business, will also receive a welcome respite from the price hikes of recent months”.
“For people trying to balance the family budget, it’s like a breath of fresh air”, Mr Jasper said.
“Finally, a touch of sanity has returned to the international market place”.
A combination of powerful forces has exerted downward pressure on crude oil and oil product prices in recent weeks.
Mr Jasper said among the main contributing factors was a slight easing in demand internationally and increased output by OPEC countries.
A slightly weaker US dollar has also benefited local consumers.
“None of these factors are internal (to the PNG economy), they are all external”.
“As I have always said, the international crude oil market is determined by the worldwide forces of supply and demand”.
“This time, those forces are working for us rather than against us”.
“After months of hardship, the pendulum has swung back in favor of consumers”.
Mr Jasper said the effects of reduced crude oil prices were being felt throughout the world.
“Consumers in every nation have been hard hit in recent months and now, this month, everyone is having some relief”.
“Again we see evidence that fuel prices are a wild roller coaster ride that is subject to rapid and dramatic change”, he said.
Mr Jasper said that while prices for all fuels had fallen this month they will continue to rise and fall in line with international demand and supply in the future.
For further in formation and to arrange media interviews contact:
Susuve Laumaea
Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation
Ph: (675) 321 7040
Mobile: (675) 684 5168
Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com
Sunday, August 31, 2008
This Blog gets a high rating
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Amelia Earhart and Papua New Guinea
Amelia Earhart...put Lae and Papua New Guinea on the world map with her disappearanceSalamaua and the Black Cat Trail
I am part Salamaua, Morobe province, Papua New Guinea, as my mother comes from there.
Salamaua is a place with a lot of history from the days of the early Lutheran missionaries, the gold rush days of the 1920's and 1930's, and the dark days of World War 11.
In honour of Salamaua, I have created two new blogs, one on Salamaua and one on the infamous Black Cat Trail, which stretches from there to the gold fields of Wau and Bulolo.
I am starting these blogs with the intention of running my own tour company specialising in Salamaua and the Black Cat Trail in the very near future.
The Salamaua blog is http://salamaua.blogspot.com/ and the Black Cat Trail blog is http://blackcattrail.blogspot.com/.
Enjoy and get back to me if you have any feedback, want more information or have have some stories and pictures you want to share.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Marimari Lutheran Church Corporate Dinner
Hi everyone,
Just letting you all know that the Marimari Lutheran Church at Five-Mile, Port Moresby, will be holding a Corporate Dinner at the Grand Palace Restaurant on 25th October, 2008 , to raise funds for our new church building and we are seeking your support by way of purchasing tickets for the dinner.
Tickets are going for K200 per person or K2,000 for a table for 10.
Let me know the number of tickets you require and I can drop them off to you.
Please pass this message on to your other Lutheran colleagues or others you think can assist.
Your assistance would be very much appreciated.
Regards
Eileen Lloyd
Email: ELloyd@pngpower.com.pg