University of Melbourne partnership with University of PNG leads to major research grant

University of Melbourne researchers have been awarded more than $1.4 million by the Australian National Health & Medical Research Council to conduct the first ever randomised clinical trial of an Australian snake antivenom. 

David ‘Snakeman’ Williams (right) holds a 3m long Papuan taipan, one of the deadliest snakes in the world, with UPNG researcher Owen Paiva. Pictures courtesy of DAVID WILLIAMS

The study, to be conducted in partnership with collaborators from the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby will compare the current CSL taipan antivenom with a new antivenom made in Costa Rica and will take place in Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea.

While similar numbers of snakebites occur in both Australia and PNG, death following snakebite in Australia is rare, whereas in PNG up to 200 people die from snakebites every year, partly because their health system has not been able to afford to supply enough of the antivenom produced in Australia.

Scientists from the Australia Venom Research Unit at the University of Melbourne teamed up with colleagues from the School of Medicine & Health Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea in 2005 to investigate snakebite problems in PNG, and this collaboration led them to

team up with a not‐for‐profit, University‐based antivenom producer in Costa Rica to produce a new, more affordable antivenom, that could eventually be manufactured in PNG by UPNG scientists themselves.

Papuan taipan being milked for venom

The taipan is a common and potentially deadly snake in some parts of Australia and in PNG. Taipans have the most toxic venoms of all land snakes, along with very long fangs and a very accurate bite, making them some of the most dangerous snakes in the world.

Bites can destroy nerve and muscle tissue, cause severe paralysis, bleeding problems, kidney injury and heart rhythm problems.

The deadly Papua taipan Oxyuranus_Scutellatus

Dr Ken Winkel, Director of the AVRU, is excited about this grant and what it will mean for the Australian and PNG communities.

“Funding from the grant will see the establishment of a snakebite clinic within the Emergency Department of Port Moresby General Hospital, and a clinical research laboratory at the neighbouring University of Papua New Guinea Medical School” said Dr Winkel.

“The trial has been rigorously designed, and will be carried out by a team of 13 Papua New Guinean doctors, nurses and scientists led by two AVRU researchers based in Port Moresby” he said.

“The NHMRC funding enables us to conduct the trial under the best possible conditions for patient safety and medical care, and will significantly enhance the capacity to treat snakebites at the local hospital, not just throughout the trial, but well

into the future.”

The University of Papua New Guinea’s Dean of Research, Professor Teatulohi Matainaho is equally enthusiastic about the benefits of the research.

“This research has accomplished a great deal in a very short period of time, and will not only provide an opportunity to improve the training of our medical staff and laboratory scientists, but also moves us one step closer to potentially being able to manufacture our own antivenoms to provide a sustainable solution to a very serious public health problem that kills many Papua New Guineans” he said.

“Snakebites are an acute medical emergency.

Without antivenom many patients will die within 24 hours, but for a long time now, the cost of Australian antivenom has been rising because of factors such as international exchange rate

fluctuations, and PNG has been able to afford less and less of this lifesaving medicine” says Prof. Matainaho.

“If the new antivenom from Costa Rica is shown to be as safe and as effective as the Australian antivenom, the cost of treating snakebites could drop enormously, and we hope that a future technology transfer will enable us to make the new antivenom here, providing a truly local solution, as well as local jobs for our young scientists, and a unique training environment for future biomedical research students” he says.

Snakebite places a significant burden on the resources of Port Moresby General Hospital, with up to 300 cases being seen every year, and the recruitment of a team of local doctors and nurses working in a new snakebite clinic is expected to take some pressure off the hospital’s Emergency and Intensive Care Departments.

“We expect that after the trial, the snakebite clinic will continue to operate and deliver improved care to snakebite patients in PNG, and we will work towards identifying sustainable funding to achieve this outcome” said Dr Winkel.

“At the same time, this grant also enables us to continue to build research capacity, and contribute to the training of young scientists at the UPNG Medical

School.”

Prof Matainaho agrees, and said that the establishment of laboratory facilities for undertaking the analysis of the data obtained from the patients in the antivenom trial will also eventually benefit the School more broadly.

“The Snakebite Project has already helped UPNG to develop new infrastructure, research programs and projects for students” he said, “and the new facilities that will be set up for the antivenom trial will be a significant new resource that we expect will continue to operate after the trial concludes.

“In light of recent discussions between Prime Ministers of Australia and Papua New Guinea regarding better relations and support in higher education, science and research, this project is a fine example of how Australian and Papua New Guinean universities can partner with each other successfully, and also provides an excellent model for other institutions to follow”.

One of the UPNG researchers who will benefit directly from the grant will be Owen Paiva, who has worked with the AVRU‐UPNG Snakebite Project for several years, and carried research on the venom of another of PNG’s venomous snakes, the small‐eyed snake, for his Master’s thesis. “This is an amazing opportunity for Papua New Guinean researchers to be involved in a major medical breakthrough that will directly help the people of our country” he said.

“Right from the beginning it has been clear that this project wasn’t just about doing research for the sake of research, but that the objective was to save people’s lives and find a long‐term solution to an important problem.

“Snakebite and antivenom research is truly multidisciplinary so this project doesn’t just benefit one group of researchers, because it involves clinical medicine, biochemistry and molecular biology, pharmacology, immunology, microbiology and public health disciplines like epidemiology and biostatistics.

“And if we eventually start to make the antivenom here in PNG, we’ll also be creating jobs for scientists like myself in our own country, as well as helping our people”.

Dr Winkel also sees potential benefits beyond PNG’s borders.

“There is an urgent need to develop effective, high potency antivenoms to affordably replace a number of low efficacy products in Africa and Asia, and the success of this new, high potency, affordable Papuan taipan antivenom, tested in a robust clinical trial, would offer proof‐of‐principle and a path forward towards achieving this objective.”

He says the trial in Port Moresby is also very important to Australia.

“Not only are we helping our closest neighbours to develop their own capacity to become truly independent by developing local biotechnology and research capacity, research skills and improved health for its population, but we are increasing our knowledge of the effects of taipan snakebites, and how to manage them successfully” he said.

“We are confident the results of the trial will inform and improve snakebite management for the benefit of both countries” said Dr Winkel.

Prime Minister asks Amet to apologise

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday called on Madang MP Sir Arnold Amet to apologise for making an unfounded and highly speculative public statement about the judiciary, The National reports.
“It is quite clear Sir Arnold is embarking on a campaign aimed at creating fear in the minds of the members of the judiciary,” he said.
O’Neill was referring to Sir Arnold’s comments in The National yesterday, claiming that the government was planning to displace National Court judges, including the chief justice.
Sir Arnold claimed he had confirmed at “the highest level” that discussions were being held to displace Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and other judges.
However, O’Neill denied this, saying it was a calculated move orchestrated to discredit his two-month-old government.
“It is very demeaning for a former chief justice to make such an outrageous statement, especially at a time when the Supreme Court is deliberating on a case concerning the decision of parliament on Aug 2,” he said.
“I have said it before, and I’ll say it again; my government respects the judiciary and its independence.
“Its members are men and women of the highest integrity, sworn to serve without fear or favour.
“Whatever Sir Arnold is attempting, I am absolutely confident the judiciary will not be swayed.”
O’Neill called on Sir Arnold to produce evidence to back his claim.
“If he does not, then, it is clear he had gone public in an attempt to cast fear in the minds of the members of the judiciary, calculated to legal advantage in a matter that is before court,” he said.
“He must now apologise to the judiciary and the people of Papua New Guinea.”
O’Neill said his go­vernment came to office with a clear agenda – to clean up the mess created by a regime whose inner circle Sir Arnold was a member of.
“The government has the mandate of parliament. I have every confidence in the judiciary and I believe this will be upheld.”

Rogue cop hits Morobe deputy governor

By GABRIEL LAHOC

Gaiwata showing his injuries

MOROBE Deputy Governor Morokoi Gaiwata and deputy provincial administrator for corporate services Geoving Belong were yesterday attacked by a hostile mob, which included police personnel, in front of the provincial government headquarters, The National reports.
The policeman, who is known to Gaiwata, was in the unruly mob which had converged on the headquarters to pre­sent a petition to Morobe Governor Luther Wenge about the worsening law and order situation in the city, notably Eriku.
Wenge and provincial administrator Kemas Tomala were not available, so Gaiwata and Belong came out of the building to address the visibly frustrated crowd and receive the petition, in the presence of police personnel who were clearly outnumbered.
Gaiwata, who is also president of Wa­ria local level government area in Bulolo district, said he was hit several times and humiliated in full public view along with Belong, and were forced down from the vehicle on which they were standing to address the crowd.
He said he knew the police officer.
“That police officer knew who I was and as he approached me he called out my name and blamed the government for not addressing police shortcomings before he struck me with a stick at my side.”
Police could not be reached for comment.

Fire destroys Lae shopping complex

By PISAI GUMAR

A FIRE razed a major shopping complex in Lae yesterday morning, The National reports.
The building at Air Corps Road near the Lae Main Market gutted a retail shop and food bar run by a Chinese and an alcohol distribution warehouse run by the landlord Titus Pamben, who also runs a bar known as “Two Eighty”.
The cause of the fire has not been established but the intensity threatened the neighbouring KK Kingston warehouse, Bank South Pacific, Big Rooster and InterOil service station.
Two fire trucks fought to put it out.
Members of the public, mainly street sellers and pickpockets, tried to seize the opportunity to help themselves but were held back by the police.
Opportunists tried to break into other shops within the vicinity but scuttled the idea when a group of heavily armed police arrived.
Vendors at the Lae main market were forced to leave early as city council officers closed the gates.
Major companies including Agmark, Orica PNG Ltd, TE PNG, PNG Oxygen, Papindo
headquarters and Seeto Kui, Super Value Shop, Mainland Plumbing, ANZ Bank, Niugini Electrical, Belltek Chemicals were placed on alert.

Violence hits Lae

By PISAI GUMAR and GABRIEL LAHOC

Smoke billowing from a burning building inside the Lae market yesterday as tension gripped the city after street sellers and peddlers were chase away by local youths following an increase in criminal activities.-Picture by RHYS GRIGGS

LAE city was torn by violence at noon yesterday when two separate incidents of rioting forced schools, government offices, banks and shops to close and public transportation to stop, The National reports.
More than a thousand Morobean youths had decided to take the law into their own hands to bring back peace onto the streets of Lae and chased street sellers and pick pockets around Top Town yesterday.
In the process, they stoned PMVs and shops owned by highlanders.
They also pledged to return to Top Town today as a much bigger force.
However, the damage was mi­nimal compared to previous riots, which were often headed by the street sellers.
Word has already been sent to the predominantly Morobe settlements at Hunter, Malahang and Bumayong and the Miles areas for all Morobean youths to assemble peacefully at the provincial headquarters today and demand lawful action against street sellers and thugs.
The street sellers and thugs, who are mainly of highlands origin, were increasingly becoming belligerent and blamed for serious crimes like rape in broad daylight in public places.
The Morobe youths had gathered at the provincial headquarters at Top Town before noon and demanded an audience with Governor Luther Wenge.
While they were waiting to be addressed, a fire broke out at a shop at the Lae market and hundreds of their nemesis, the street sellers and pick pockets, rushed to the burning building, sparking a riot.
However, police were at the scene quickly and owners of shops and offices acted just as fast to close their doors, preventing any looting.
The angry youths were addressed by Deputy Governor Morokoi Gaiwata and deputy provincial administrator for corporate services Geoving Belong. Wenge and provincial administrator Kemas Tomala did not attend.
Despite the presence of police, who were easily outnumbered, the crowd
chanted anti-highlands sentiments.
Traffic flow into town from the market area and Eriku were halted, with buses turning away passengers to avoid the angry mob.
The Morobe youths also attacked Chinese shops in Top Town because, they said, the Asian entrepreneurs supplied the street sellers with DVDs and gadgets like mobile phones and flash drives, and sunglasses to sell to the public.
More than three hours after the uprising, police had to chase opportunists who went around Top Town attempting to loot shops.

Wartoto fails transfer bid

By SAMUEL RAITANO

THE Waigani District Court has dismissed an application by Kokopo businessman Eremas Wartoto to have his case on allegations of misappropriation transferred to Kimbe or Kokopo, The National reports.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar said although the reasons for requesting the transfer were based on the cost of travel by the defendant, it was not convincing.
He said Wartoto was a regular business traveller and owner of a number of companies and should not find it difficult in having the case heard in Waigani.
The court also dismissed a verbal application by the police prosecutor to issue a warrant of arrest for Wartoto on allegations that he had left the country and produced an unstamped medical report from a hospital in Cairns.
Bidar ruled that the police brief was not ready and a warrant of arrest would not be issued without proper evidence in court.
Bidar directed Wartoto’s lawyer to obtain medical reports from his client.
It was found that Wartoto was in Cairns for medical treatment after suffering hypertension and being seriously fatigued.
An affidavit had been filed in court that medical advice to Wartoto required him to be in treatment for 30 days.
Wartoto is alleged to have misappropriated about K10 million.
An additional charge of misappropriation of K1.9 million is being investigated.
The findings will be incorporated into the police briefs.
Wartoto is expected to make his appearance in court on Dec 1.

Probe team to begin SABL hearing today

THE Commission of Inquiry into the special agriculture and business leases (SABL) in Pomio district, East New Bri­tain, will start today, The National reports.
The inquiry will be held at Vunapope in Kokopo.
Interested parties would give evidence on the validity of each SABL to address issues found in the preliminary hearings over the past months.
The inquiry team was in Palmalmal, West Pomio, last weekend visiting the Drina camp site where logging operations were taking place.
The team was accompanied by government officials and representatives of the project developer, Gilford Ltd.
It was understood that landowners from Mul, Bairaman and Launa, within the Pomata concession area, were already in Kokopo for the hearing until Friday.
The substantive hearings will determine whether land titles for SABLs were truly vested in customary landowners or whether there was alienation to outsiders and foreigners for periods of up to 99 years.
Commissioner Alois Jerewai will hear the SABL inquiries

Greenpeace visit illegal, says administrator

By PATRICK MAKIS

LAST week’s protest visit by Greenpeace to the Drina logging camp in Pomio, East New Britain, was illegal, The National reports.
The visit was not approved by the provincial authorities.
Pomio district administrator Pomaleu Langisan said Greenpeace had failed to seek formal approval from police and the provincial government before going to the district to stage its protests.
He said the Pomio district administration, as the imme­diate government authority on the ground, was unaware of the visit and he and senior officers were turned away by Greenpeace officials when they tried to board the vessel to find out why it had berthed in their waters.
He said the ship, instead, dispatched boats and a helicopter ferrying Greenpeace activists to the village of Mu where they met with landowners who were against the Memalo integrated development project.
Langisan said there was a near-confrontation between pro-Memalo landowners, who numbered nearly 1,000, and the NGO-backed people comprising about 100 supporters.
“I want to thank the members of the police task force who were on the ground at the time and managed to contain the situation, which could have resulted in fatalities,” he said.
Langisan condemned reports published in the Post-Courier, labelling them as biased and mainly concerned with the views of pro-NGO landowners and not truly reflective of the situation that day.
He said the Post-Courier reporter failed to report that the number of people in support of the project was greater than those in opposition.
“I invited the reporter, including other media personnel, to come ashore with me to the Drina logging camp so that they could get a better picture of what was happening on the ground but they refused,” he said.
“I can only understand why the reporting was biased because media officials were accommodated on board the Esperanza and were inclined to report in support of Greenpeace,” he said.
He called on Greenpeace and its supporters in the country to res­pect authorities and landowners when protesting sensitive issues such as the Memalo project.
The Memalo project covers three concession areas of Ralopal, Nakiura and Pomata and comes under the lease-lease back scheme, which would see logging activities conducted with the cultivation of oil palm forming the agriculture component of the project.

Local firm refers Post-Courier to media council

A COMPANY has referred the Post-Courier newspaper to the Independent Media Standards Committee of the Media Council of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.
Memalo Holdings yesterday delivered its letter to the PNG Media Council alleging a breach of the Media Council of Papua New Guinea code of ethics.
Company chairman John Parulria said his action arose from that newspaper’s coverage of Greenpeace activities which took place on Oct 23-24 in the Pomio area of East New Britain and published in three separate articles.
Parulria was alleging that the paper breached the media code of ethics on accuracy and balance and conflict of interest.
He alleged that the paper was not accurate when it reported that the landowners were unhappy and that the company had continued its logging operations despite a court order.
He said there was no court order and that the paper failed to include in its report the commentary of spokespeople from Memalo Holdings and the 121 clans it re­presented.
He further claimed that that only a few members of the clans were protesting with Greenpeace while the majority was for the project which was a fact that had been badly misconstrued by the newspaper.
Parulria also alleged that Post-Courier reporters received and benefited from transportation provided by Greenpeace from Rabaul to Jacquinot Bay.
“This is a formal complaint,” Parulria said in his letter “under the Independent Media Standards Committee guidelines. These matters are causing damage to an important enterprise and generating tensions among landowners. Memalo Holdings Ltd requests the Post-Courier to take appropriate action and reserves all its legal rights.”
The paper was required under the guidelines to respond to each alleged breach within 30 days.

Landowners want activists expelled

THE Immigration and Citizenship Service has been urged to deport Greenpeace activists from PNG if they broke the country’s laws and regulations, The National reports.
In a signed petition, hundreds of people in Pomio want the department and the National Maritime Safety Authority to investigate whether the activists had clearance to land at Pomio last week.
They believe that the Greenpeace vessel, mv Esperanza, entered the area illegally and had failed to follow proper protocol.
The petitioners believe that the Greenpeace activists’ objective is to disrupt economic activity and to impede PNG’s development.
They see Greenpeace as a foreign organisation which is not genuinely interested in the welfare of the landowners.
They believe that Greenpeace is deliberately trying to stop commercial activity in the area and deprive landowners of employment and incomes for themselves and their families.
They accused Greenpeace of deliberately inflaming inter-clan tensions for their own purposes.
They believe Greenpeace has a history of encouraging potentially-violent confrontation in order to create “footage” that it can send to the global media.

Ex-soldiers run amok outside Waigani Haus

A GROUP of ex-servicemen went on a rampage yesterday, damaging cars and state property at Morauta Haus at Waigani, which houses the office of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, The National reports.
The frustrated former soldiers were protesting against what they claimed was the delay in the payment of all their entitlements.
Motor vehicles owned by the state and privately by officers working at Morauta Haus were damaged by the angry mob armed with metal bars and other missiles as they stormed the four-storey building.
They did not gain entry however, glass panels of the buildings were smashed while ground facilities like parking lights were destroyed.
They were angered by comments from the prime minister last Thursday saying  that only the ex-servicemen in 185,334 and the colonial ex-servicemen groups would be paid.
O’Neill had said the 1,360 and the 323 groups would miss out or delayed to allow time for the claims to be verified.
However, the latter said their claims were in relations to the housing scheme, hardship or rehabilitation and the act of grace payments claims which were genuine and should be paid.
They said they were affected by the government’s down-sizing policy of the PNG Defence Force from 2001 to 2006.
At around 11am the frustrated ex-servicemen, numbering more than 100 shouted and yelled and threatened to burn Morauta Haus.
Apart from the prime minister, the building is occupied by the Department of the Prime Minister, the National Executive Council, the minister assisting the prime minister on constitutional matters, the Department of Personnel Management, Public Services Commission and the Central Agency Coordination office.
Terrified public servants stopped work and either locked themselves inside the building or fled home for the day.
Unarmed police officers led by NCD Commander Chief Supt Fred Sikiot arrived 40 minutes later and guarded the building.
Military vehicles were also spotted around the area as the commotion started.
It is believed to be the first time members of the police force including the specially trained mobile squad had come unarmed to quell a disturbance in a public area.
They kept their distance from the group who presented their petition to the acting Prime Minister and  Public Service Minister Bart Philemon.
He said he was going to take their concern to O’Neill when he arrived from Australia.
Meanwhile, a reliable government source said the claims were held back to verify the amounts because some of the claimants were either paid earlier or were not entitled to any payments

Museum boss Mek Kuk sidelined

NATIONAL Museum and Art Gallery director Meck Kuk has been suspended pending investigations into alleged non-performance and mismanagement of funds, The National reports.
His suspension was endorsed by Cabinet last week when it made a number of changes in departmental heads and foreign diplomatic missions.
Kuk’s suspension was published in the national gazette no: G304 on Oct 27, along with other changes in the public service.
Kuk has been replaced by former national Museum and Art Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, an anthropologist from Wewak, East Sepik, who was teaching at Adelaide University, Australia.
He was recalled to take charge of the institution that has been plagued by poor control since 2004.
The gazettal notice by Governor-General Sir Michael Ogio said he appointed Moutu on the advice of NEC and on recommendation from the Minister for Culture and Tourism, Benjamin Philip.
Moutu was appointed to the position “until further notice” effective from Oct 21.
Sir Michael appointed Joe Luma as Works secretary for a second term of four years.
However, Sir Michael suspended Joseph Nobetau as the acting chief migration officer and appointed senior diplomatic officer Mataio Rabura as the acting head of Immigrations effective Oct 21.
Peter Maginde, head of mission to Brussels, is being recalled and replaced by Rima Ravusiro as ambassador to Belgium and the European Union with concurrent accreditation to France.
Former police commissioner Anthony Wagambie has been rewarded with a diplomatic post as ambassador to the Philippines and a former secretary of finance and businessman Rupa Mulina is now the new ambassador to the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.

Pregnant woman’s head chopped off

By JUNIOR UKAHA

A pregnant woman was decapitated last Sunday after she was attacked by a man in her home, The National reports.
Lucy Evi Apini, 25, from Inawii village, Bereina, Central, was alone in her home when the 18-year-old suspect from the same village approached her and asked to light his cigarette.
Police reports said while Apini was trying to give him a light, the suspect pulled out a bush knife and hit her on the back.
Provincial police commander John Maru said the suspect then swung the knife at her neck and chopped her head off.
He said the reason for the killing was not known but police believe Apini’s husband, Charles Aisaga, might “know something”.
Police briefs said the victim was eight months pregnant when she was killed.
Village councillor Joseph Ofoi said the killing had “shocked” the people of Inawii.
He said the relatives of the deceased were angry but wanted the police to thoroughly investigate the matter and arrest the suspect.
“This is a very sad case. I think it is a double murder as the woman was carrying an unborn child inside her when she was killed,” he said.
He said the suspect was allegedly mentally retarded and was known to be a drug addict.
Ofoi said this was the third time a murder had occurred in the
village but police had handled the cases very poorly.
He said the suspects in all the murder cases were known to the villagers but police always had transport problems and did not follow up on the cases. 
The matter was reported to Bereina police last Thursday and they attended to the scene, but by then, the suspect had fled.
Maru condemned the killing and assured the relatives of the deceased police would use all available resource to find the suspect.

Killing sparks Bogia riot

By JAYNE SAFIHAO

A village has been razed to the ground as a result of the gruesome killing of a Grade 3 student from the Asarumba Care Centre in Bogia last Saturday, The National reports.
Eyewitnesses and Bogia Mayor Felix Bangai said the 11-year-old boy and his teenage brother left early in the morning to look for coconuts.
He said they had walked to the border of Kalilat village, the last village after Bogia.
While trying to husk coconuts there, the brothers were ambushed by a group of Kalilat youths who shouted at them to leave. The elder brother sensing danger ran ahead of the younger one.
Unable to catch up, Junior Bari Gumai of Dangale village, Manam, died while running, speared in the back with a fishing gun. The metal fishing spear had a thick metal tip fixed with a hook.
The gang then took the boy’s body to the beach, burnt the face to make it unrecognisable and then gutted the corpse with a bush knife.
But about 200 relatives of the deceased then marched onto Kalilat village, razing everything in front of them.
They burnt houses and slaughtered animals.
Kalilat villagers then set up roadblocks at three sections of the road, with women and children forced to walk while vehicles were stopped from going to or from Bogia.
But Snr Constable Adam Yawing, the man in charge of the North Coast Road highway patrol saved the day by disbanding the angry Kalilat youths while asking for the surrender of the killers.
An auxiliary policeman and community leader Joe Viaken said they were turned upon by the men from Kalilat when they tried to intervene.
“We were being shot at with fishing guns. Almost all of them were armed and didn’t respect the law,” he said.
“They shouted abuse at us and used the cover of women and children at the roadblock to attack us.
“One spear landed in the car nearly killing the acting district administrator. We will be reporting the matter to the provincial police commander,” he said.
Viaken said the situation was still tense yesterday after the burial of the boy.
Asarumba care centre spokesman Nelson Mambote has lashed out at the government and is appealing for the government to look at relocating them to a neutral place.
“This is the third death so far since we have been placed here in 2006.
“The first was of a small boy. The Rarin community of Bogia killed and ate the child, cannibal fashion; the second was of a mother and child while out gardening and this is the third.
“Enough is enough, we can­not go on like this,” he said.

Tiensten's CEO says he was blackmailed

CHRIS Hulape said in a statement yesterday that a couple of weeks before their arrest, National Fraud Squad members in Port Moresby visited his Gerehu home and left a telephone landline number 325 9873, The National reports.
Hulape said when he returned the call, a man answered and Hulape introduced himself and was told his call would be returned.
“About half an hour later, the same person called from a bemobile number, 765 34370, and introduced himself as from the fraud squad.
Hulape said when the phone call came through, he was with his lawyer Paul Yange of Warner Shand Lawyers in Kokopo and two policemen, who were present, heard the phone conversation on speaker.
Hulape claimed that the caller said he would help if Hulape cooperated.
He said there was a series of phone calls and text messages throughout the week from the caller asking for cash to be deposited into Westpac Bank account.
Hulape said he had saved the text messages and would give them to police.Hulape said last Friday, at about 9pm, task force members interviewed his wife for about three hours.
“The investigators were kind and diplomatic but did not have the authority to grant police bail.”
He said the East New Britain acting provincial police commander was approached by the task force members at about 1.30am the next
day but bail was denied her, although she was in her final week of pregnancy.
Hulape was arrested and charged the same day

Paul Tiensten's CEO arrested

ONGOING investigations into alleged misuse of millions of kina of state funds in the National Planning Department have led to the weekend arrest of a married couple in Kokopo, East New Britain, The National reports.
The man was reportedly a former executive officer of former national planning and monitoring minister Paul Tiensten.
Torch Bearer Productions Ltd managing director Chris Hulape and wife Agnes Frank-Hulape, who is a shareholder of the company, had been charged with misappropriation and stealing under false pretence.
The arrest by the Task Force Sweep team was in relation to more than K1 million funding for a resource centre and three markets for Kiriwina-Goodenough district in Milne Bay.
The task force members alleged that the couple applied for and received K1.6 million (cheque No.000036 in February for Kiriwina-Good­enough Community Resource and Learning Centre (K600,000) and
the Kiriwina-Goodenough Strategic Market De­velopment Project (K1 million).
Police investigations had revealed that no such projects had taken place, culminating in their arrest on Saturday.
Hulape, 34, of Vailala Hilo village in Kikori, Gulf province, had been refused bail while wife Frank-Hulape, 34, of Rabuana, Rabaul, was charged, detained and released as she is pregnant.
Both would appear before the Kokopo District Court this morning.
Operation Sweep team chairman Simon Koim said in a statement last night that the couple was innocent under the law until proven guilty.
“They will now go through the normal criminal process in court to prove their innocence on the charges laid against them,” he said.
Hulape was tracked down early this month after he allegedly discharged a firearm in public in Kokopo.
Police are still investigating this incident and another alleged misappropriation of K1.5 million for a Gulf school.
Hulape, in a statement yesterday, said the pro­ject submission for building of a resource centre and three markets were supported by a letter signed by the Member for Kiriwina-Goodenough Jack Cameron.
He said the MP and the district administrator formalised the arrangement through a contract signed between Kiriwina-Goodenough district administration and Torch Bearer Productions Ltd.
He said the resource centre was completed and based on Cameron’s request, the funds were released to his preferred sub-contractor accordingly.
“The MP then made numerous requests for Torch Bearer Productions Ltd to off load the remaining project funds to his family company so that they could implement the market project, Hulape claimed.
“This would then be clearly a breach of the contract by Cameron.”
Hulape said a letter signed by the MP, the district administrator and district treasurer cancelling Torch Bearer Productions Ltd’s contract was sent to him saying this was because of delays in completing the project.
A copy of the letter cancelling the contract was sent to the task force team.
Hulape expressed concern that Koim was conducting premature investigations on some well-meaning projects secured through the national go­vernment such as his Kiriwina-Goodenough one.
“This questions the legitimacy and motive of the team and if it is really serving national interest or the interest of a few.”
“The National Planning cheque for K1.6 million was printed on March 1, 2011, and was collected by us in
April and banked in May.”

Greenpeace invasion of Pomio (refer to story below)

Pro-project crowd last Sunday

Pomio district administrator Pomaleu Langisan (centre) and armed police defuse what could have turned out to be a nasty situation in Pomio last Sunday

Pomio about to be invaded by Greenpeace activists and accompanying journalists. They narrowly escaped being attacked by a welcome reception at the wharf

Opposing groups on the warpath as a Greenpeace helicopter hovers over last Sunday

Logging vessel which was defaced by Greenpeace in Pomio lastMonday

Greenpeace activists about to land at the RH wharf in Pomio last Sunday, before being turned away by an angry crowd

An armed policeman stops pro-project group from advancing any further

A Greenpeace helicopter hovers over Pomio last Sunday

Customs confirms breach by Greenpeace

THE Customs Department has confirmed that the Greenpeace vessel, mv Esperanza, breached clearance conditions when it sailed to Pomio, in East New Britain, last Sunday, The National reports.
Greenpeace, which has lost its charitable status in New Zealand after a lengthy investigation, faces a fine of between K500 and K25,000 under section 25 of the Customs Act.
The department's trade and compliance director, Wesley Bulumaris, said the vessel was cleared to enter Papua New Guinea waters but was to sail directly to Port Moresby.
"We have now come to learn through the media that the vessel sailed to Pomio rather than Port Moresby and is currently on anchorage since Sunday, Monday, Tuesday," he said in a letter yesterday to lawyers acting for landowners in Pomio who are opposed to the Greenpeace's publicity stunts and other activities.
A copy of the letter was made available to The National by MS Wagambie Lawyers.
Bulumaris said the captain's action was in breach of the conditions and punishable under the Act.
"Investigation will be carried out to establish the facts for any action to be taken," he said.
Esperanza has since left Pomio and was believed to be heading to Port Moresby with a few landowners to seek political support to stop the special agriculture business leases. A Post-Courier reporter is believed to be on board the vessel.
FM 100 radio reported yesterday that Greenpeace had abandoned its activities in Pomio following protests from landowners who support the oil palm project which is expected to provide jobs, security and infrastructure, royalties and other benefits.
On Monday, lawyers acting for Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group served notice on Post-Courier to publish an apology over a report on the same day or face legal action.
The Monday report, headlined "Pro-loggers tell visitors to get out", stated that RH was still operating in Pomio despite a stop-work order and was in contempt of court.
Warner Shand Lawyers said no such court order was in place and that the report was malicious.
This would not be the first time that Greenpeace had broken laws to achieve its goals.
Last year, its Rainbow Warrior was escorted out of Indonesian waters after the local authorities discovered discrepancies in the papers submitted by the ship's agent and Greenpeace campaigners.