Government MPs get K2 million each

ABOUT 50 members of the ruling coalition government were each paid K2 million to lure support from other members so they could remain in power, sources within the Finance Department revealed yesterday, The National reports.

The sources said former acting finance minister and treasurer Arthur Somare and Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare allegedly instructed the department to immediately release K2 million each to the 50 members of the government coalition as per their listing soon after parliament ad-journed last month.

The sources also revealed that the department was advised not to release any district support improvement programme (DSIP) funds to the members of the opposition.

According to the sources, the normal transfer process was that the finance secretary would advise the Bank of PNG to release the funds to the district treasuries after acquittals of previous funds were furnished.

However, the finance and treasury sources admitted that the normal financial management processes of transfer of funds to the district treasuries were not followed.

The funds were dished out to MPs.

Documents revealed that MPs in government were allegedly paid K2 million each straight after Speaker Jeffery Nape adjourned parliament to Nov 16.

Another source confirmed that the funds, from part of the DSIP, were paid out from the Department of National Planning office and collected by individual MPs in person straight after the adjournment.

A bank document obtained by The National showed that national planning deposited K2 million into one member’s DSIP account on July 26, five days after parliament adjourned on July 21.

The sources could not confirm if each of the recipients of the funds had submitted their acquittals.

The sources admitted they had to act on political instructions to release the funds, whether or not the processes were followed, as they feared losing their jobs.

However, they said each member of parliament was entitled to K60 million of DSIP funds.

They would receive these funds as and when the secretary gave the approval for the transfer of the funds after receiving their acquittals.

The sources could not confirm when and how much each member of parliament was going to be paid, but it was the secretary’s discretion to do so.

Staff at the Department of Finance spoke out after Bulolo MP Sam Basil approached them about his electorate’s DSIP funds.

Staff did not divulge much due to the presence of journalists accompanying Basil.

However, the workers did admit that the funds were allegedly not disbursed equally as stipulated in the constitution.

They said many members had not completed their acquittals but were paid the funds to “help the government stay in power”.

Basil said as far as he was concerned, opposition MPs had not received any of the K2 million DSIP funds distributed recently.

“We are eager to know when these funds will be released to us in order to implement programmes in our electorates,” Basil added.

 

Kokoda crash report set for November

THE families of the 13 people who died in the Kokoda plane crash last year have been told the report into the investigation should be available to them by November, The National reports.

Some relatives of the nine Australians who died in the Airlines PNG Twin Otter crash travelled to Kokoda yesterday for the first anniversary of the crash. They were accompanied to the site by Community Development Minister Dame Carol Kidu.

PNG’s Accident Investigation Commission said it wanted to assure families that the report was at an advanced stage.

But commission chairman Paulus Dowa said it might not answer the families’ questions and a further inquiry could be called for.

“The company, the relatives, they will also want to dispute the findings of the commission,” he added.

“It is like if a policeman does a report and a witness comes in and says, ‘oh no, I do not agree with the report’, and then they will be required to give their own evidence in other avenues like the court of law or coronial inquest.”

The authority had also made preliminary recommendations about voice recorders and warning systems.

Airlines PNG said its fleet of Twin Otter was undergoing a A$6 million upgrade.

Australian minister for foreign affairs and trade Stephen Smith yesterday extended his condolences to the family and relatives of the 13 who died.

“The anniversary will be a difficult time for the families and partners of those who died. Our thoughts are with them.

“The fact that these nine Australians were looking forward to walking the Kokoda Track, an iconic area of national significance, has made their loss all the more difficult,” the minister said in a statement.

He said Australia was looking forward to the completion of investigations into the crash.

On Aug 11 last year, a Twin Otter plane, captained by Jenny Moala, crashed in Kokoda killing 13 people, including nine Australians who were planning to walk the famous track.

 

 

InterOil secures US$25 million short term credit facility

Pacific LNG Ltd., an affiliate of Clarion Finanz AG, in a vote of confidence in its partner, and immediately following the announcement of the Joint Venture Operating Agreement with Mitsui & Co. Ltd, has advanced US$25 million to InterOil Corp. 

Henry Aldorf, President of Pacific LNG and former President of Marathon International and V.P. Global Upstream Business Development Of Marathon Inc., was quoted as saying “We are pleased to provide additional capital to InterOil in order to accelerate its upstream operations and pre-invest with our partner Mitsui to advance the Condensate Stripping Project (CSP).  Additionally, the company is drilling its second horizontal at Antelope-2. 

“The horizontal well is targeting a higher condensate-to-gas ratio deeper in the reservoir, which can only enhance an already high rate of return project and add resources to the year-end 2009 estimate of 9.1 Tcfe. 

“InterOil’s second rig has arrived and is on the ground at the refinery area in Papua New Guinea and is awaiting deployment to the field in the fourth quarter following modifications for jungle drilling in this now proven basin.”

The term loan facility matures on January 31, 2011 and will be used for upstream development and general corporate expenses.

 InterOil has agreed to pledge to Clarion Finanz a 2.5% interest in Elk and Antelope fields as collateral for the facility. Collin Vissagio, Chief Financial Officer of InterOil commented: “We are pleased to have obtained this facility from Clarion Finanz. It allows us to maintain financial flexibility while seeking potential industry investors in the Elk and Antelope fields.”

 InterOil intends to use the proceeds from the facility to further develop the Elk and Antelope fields in advance of the proposed development of the longer term condensate stripping and liquefied natural gas projects.

We are off target: Abal

FOREIGN Affairs and Trade Minister Sam Abal admits that Papua New Guinea and many Pacific Island countries will not meet the millennium development goal (MDG) targets by 2015, The National reports.

Abal was speaking yesterday on return from Jakarta, Indonesia, where he was involved in a special ministerial meeting on the MDG and the 2nd PNG-Indonesia joint ministerial commission.

He said PNG, along with many other Pacific Islands, would not achieve all the MDG goals by target year 2015.

But, he said, PNG had made significant progress.

Abal said it was now up to the government to shape up and tighten up, making budgetary commitments within the next five years until 2015.

He said PNG could make significant progress in the eight MDG, particularly the goals of reducing maternal health and child mortality and achieving universal basic education, because all were already identified and prioritised in the government’s medium-term development strategy, national strategic plan 2030 and Vision 2050.

He said the K10 million district service improvement programme funds could assist in this regard, but it is the question of getting the work done in the districts by individual MPs.

Abal identified decentralising powers to the provinces, under the provincial government reforms, as a hindrance to achieving the targets, because it blocked plans and policies by the central government trickling down to the districts.

 

Kapris treated like a 'terrorist'

Caption: Suspected bank robber Kapris (right) and his lawyer David Dotaona outside the Waigani court premises in early June. – Nationalfilepic

14 suspected accomplices, all smartly dressed and mingling like in a high school re-union

ALLEGED bank robber William Nanua Kapris told the National Court in Madang yesterday that his rights have been deprived and “I am being treated like a terrorist”, The National reports.

Speaking in court before Justice David Cannings, Kapris said his rights had been deprived since his 25-month imprisonment at Bomana and that his human rights had been abused.

“Even in Madang, I am still under tight security,” he added.

“Our case is a big case. It’s our life, but I have not been allowed access to my lawyer David Dotaona.

“My family and I are willing to pay for travel and accommodation costs. I am being treated like a terrorist,” he told the court, adding: “I want to be treated like a normal state prisoner.”

However, Justice Cannings said: “This is not a human rights abuse case. If you have any human rights complaints, then you can bring it up with your lawyers, the same goes for the others with similar complaints.”

Kapris and 14 others were appearing in relation to the Madang BSP heist in 2008 during which K2 million was stolen and a substantial amount was yet to be recovered. 

Cannings allowed an application by senior state prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin to adjourn the case to this morning.

Kaluwin expressed concern that the 10-day trial period was “not realistic”.

Asked why by Cannings, Kaluwin said this was because the matter had changed hands with different prosecutors as well as the need for him to speak to the defence counsel.

In his response, Cannings said: “We had a series of pre-trial earlier in the year. We originally set this trial for May but, due to your office’s slackness and lack of capability, we have been delayed. I had to personally ring the acting public prosecutor to sort this matter out. So, I will allow for tomorrow (today) at 9am.”

Then Cannings asked Kaluwin: “Do you think you will be prepared then?”                                                                  

 When Kaluwin responded with a “we’ll see”, Cannings said: “That you will.”                                         

Kapris’ suspected accomplices, 14 (named) and all smartly dressed and mingling like in a high school re-union after the court, were represented by Lae-based state solicitor’s office, a private Lae-based lawyer and Dotaona.

The courthouse was cordoned off, including the provincial government building area, disrupting normal business as the public and people living along the Kina Beach residential area tried accessing the nearby offices to have a glimpse of proceedings.                         

Off duty policeman Sgt Joe Mbur said: “The temporary arrangement by concerned authorities is causing unnecessary inconveniences. Kapris should just be treated like any normal prisoner.”                                      

Reporters were not allowed to take photographs of the prisoners outside the court house.                                       

Police are on a 24- hour vigil around the courthouse area as a precautionary measure.

Devete sets new goals for office

A POOR showing by the Office of Solicitor-General has seen millions of kina paid out to claimants against the state, the government’s top litigation lawyer has admitted, The National reports.

Solicitor-General Neville Devete said most of the cases filed against the state were cases that could easily have been defeated, which would have saved the government millions of kina it paid out in the past 10 years.

Inefficiencies and slackness, including lack of manpower, are problems that are known to have existed in the office Devete heads, but little has been done over the years to address this.

The office has often attracted the ire of judges when lawyers fail to turn up to defend cases.

Now, the office aims to minimise this and is conducting workshops around the country to establish good working relationships with government agencies in all regions.

Devete, who is in Kokopo, East New Britain, said with the support of the Attorney-General and Justice secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe, they wanted to bring a new focus to the representation of the state with all matters that go to court.

This focus getting government agencies such as police, Correctional Services, health department, provincial works and others to be prompt in referring cases to the office when actions are filed.

Devete said his office was responsible for representing the state in all matters defending the state in the event that it was taken to court by organisations or companies.

The office also files cases on behalf of the state to take other organisations to court.

Devete said two workshops had already been conducted in Mt Hagen.

He said as a result of these workshops, they had seen a big improvement in the response of state agencies based in the province.

He said this minimised many cases, where in the past there had been no one to defend because representatives from the office were not provided instructions, and they could only go to court when they received instructions from state agencies taken to court.

Devete said the office was keen to establish better consultation and co-ordination in order to better represent the state.

The two-day workshop at the Kokopo Village Resort ends today.

 

 

Numapo takes over

Veratau, Juffa to work for the good of rugby league

 

FORMER PNG Rugby League chairman John Numapo will be heading a new interim committee with Gary Juffa and Albert Veratau as members to manage the affairs of rugby league in the country, The National reports.

The interim committee was set up following a decision by the former chairman Veratau to withdraw court proceedings against Juffa and his board challenging their election in Lae at the PNGRFL annual general meeting last November.

Both Veratau and Juffa have agreed to put aside their differences and work together for the good of rugby league in PNG.

The agreement reached between the parties was endorsed by Justice Ambeng Kandakasi on July 29.

The new committee will now replace the previous caretaker management committee comprising of Numapo and Brian Canavan appointed on July 3 by the Rugby League International Federation.

In welcoming the decision, Numapo said: “There are two things that stand out in this outcome.

“Firstly, the initiative taken by both Veratau and Juffa to have the matter resolved amicably between themselves and secondly, for putting aside their differences and agreeing to work together for the greater good of rugby league in PNG.

“Now that the tussle over leadership is put to rest, the committee has some urgent and immediate tasks to attend to as a matter of priority.

“Among others, the selection of the Prime Minister’s XIII for the game against the Australian PM’s XIII next month and the preparations of the Kumuls for the Four Nation in October. Time is against us and we need to move quickly on that,” he said.

A number of sub-committees will also be appointed to assist the new committee to manage the different activities and programmes of the PNGRFL.

The agreement endorsed by the National Court stated that the committee shall perform the functions of the board and management of the PNGRFL in managing and administering the affairs of the PNGRFL and, in particular amongst others:

*           Appoint Gary Juffa to be responsible for the administration and management of representative games for this year, including the review of the selection process and management of representative teams, such as the PNG Kumuls;

*           Appoint Albert Veratau to be responsible for the negotiations and securing of funding from the Australian government;

*           Ensure the continuation of the PNGRFL’s existing programmes;

*           Review and establish the PNGRFL’s relationship with the National Rugby League (NRL) Bid Team;

*           Propose changes and take steps to implement such changes as are necessary in relation to all of the above mentioned matters; and

*           Do anything and everything to promote the interest of rugby league in PNG.

The interim committee will cease to hold office at or after the 2010 AGM which shall take place no later than Nov 30.

The Rugby League International Federation and the Australian Rugby League have been notified of the decision of the Court endorsing the agreement reached.