Corpse of expat found

 A partially-burned corpse of a white male was discovered yesterday afternoon at Napanapa outside Port Moresby, The National reports.
The body is believed to be that of an expa­triate who police said was reported missing last Saturday.
Calls made to NCD metropolitan commander Supt Joseph Tondop last night were directed to his voicemail, but police sources said foul play had not been ruled out.
Police said security guards of a company had gone to check on a bushfire near the Napanapa project area and came across the body about 10m from the main road.
Police were called in and took the body to the PMGH morgue.
They said while the corpse’s identifiable features fitted the missing person’s description, a post-mortem would be conducted to confirm his identity.
Police said the person, reportedly missing, was the general manager of a catering company in Port Moresby.

 

Ahi census stalled

 CENSUS operations in the Ahi local level government area of Lae have been stalled since last week because the interviewers are holding onto census pads, The National reports.
This means the population between Bumbu compound to Poahom area bordering Situm, in Nawaeb district, have not been accounted for yet.
Disgruntled census officials spoke out over the weekend, saying they had been protesting for two weeks and had since held on to all 300 pads containing the forms for 65 respondents. 
The interviewers said there were around 360 officers covering the area who had yet to be given their advance payment of K40 a day for the seven-day counting exercise.
They claimed there was no training manual but they were expected by authorities to collect high quality data.
The officials said they were instead asked to accept a meal allowance of K105 for the seven-day period of the census.
The prolonged rainy period since last month also did not help interviewers who have been visiting the Ahi local level government office at Malahang for their payments.
The group of interviewers did not want to be named out of fear of being targeted individually by the authorities. 
Ahi census coordinator Kissu Lucas could not be reached for comments

 

Two die, houses razed after clash at Sogeri

 TWO men are dead, several families are homeless and one person is in a critical condition at the Port Moresby General Hospital after an argument resulted in the killing and burning down of homes during the early hours of Saturday morning at the Owers Corner, outside Port Moresby, The National reports.
Sogeri police station commander Stanley Baroro said a weekend getaway for some Southern Highlanders at Owers Corner with a group of Goilala settlers living there turned sour after an argument resulted in the fight between the two groups. 
Baroro said from reports received the group was getting high on drugs while drinking alcohol.
Baroro said since the Southern Highlanders were visitors there, they were outnumbered and fled but were chased and attacked by the Goilalas, resulting in one of them being killed.
He said the body of the deceased was then mutilated and left on the roadside.
The matter was reported to police but before any action could be taken, relatives of the deceased, who learned of the killing, mobilised in two 25-seater buses, searched the the city for any Goilalas and abducted two innocent men from the Manu Autoport Market, bound them and headed for Owers Corner.
Police said the relatives then converged on the settlement and burnt down several houses. 
While the Southern Highlanders were busy burning and destroying property, the duo decided to make a run. 
One was cornered and chopped to death with petrol thrown over him before he was set alight while the other was chopped, suffering multiple deep wounds.
He is in a critical condition in hospital.
Baroro, who condemned the killings, said the senseless barbaric acts were symbolic of those in the Stone Age and that while policemen were trying to uphold justice by conducting investigations, the Southern Highlanders decided to use their own tactics.
“We are in the 21st century, modern PNG. We cannot allow people to payback at will using jungle justice,” he said. 
“I am appealing for both sides not to do any more harm, to respect each other and the law and to cooperate with police.”
Four Goilalas were questioned in relation to the deaths.

 

Kase is acting health secretary

 HEAD of the AusAID-funded capacity building service centre and former deputy secretary in charge of policy and administration with the Department of Health, Pascoe Kase is the acting secretary for Health, The National reports.
Health and HIV/AIDS Minister Sasa Zibe officially announced the appointment yesterday in the presence of senior health executives, management and staff and development partners at Aopi Building’s conference room.
“I welcome the decision of the government to appoint Kase in an acting capacity,” he said. 
“I have confidence in him that he will provide able leadership during this time when we have many exciting developments taking place in the department,” Zibe said.
“He is no stranger to this role. In his previous capacity as deputy secretary, he been acting secretary for health on a number of occasions and possesses good working knowledge of the operations of the department.”
Kase said: “It is good to be back after a while.”
He thanked the government for having confidence in him, saying it was a privilege and a honour.
“While I am looking forward to working with the rest the team, I know it is not an easy job. 
“There are many challenges that we still need to overcome and there are achievements and progress that we can work on to ensure that they become a scheme of success,” Kase said.
Zibe said Kase would remain in the position for six months while the government looked for a permanent replacement

 

Pundari lauds work by MMJV

 THE national government is impressed with Morobe Mining Joint Venture company for setting the benchmark in waste management and environmental standards, The National reports.
Minister for Mining John Pundari said in the history of mining in PNG, the operator of the Harmony gold mine in Morobe was the first to have well-established and controlled waste management and environment practices which others should follow.
“This is a challenge to other mines in the country and that is the only way to do business in the country. 
“This is the kind of changes we want to experience in the industry as well as other extraction industries in PNG,” Pundari said.
He claimed other mining operations in the country did not have such an impressive waste management standard.
Meanwhile, Ramu nickel and cobalt mining operations in Madang were being delayed pending a National Court ruling.
Pundari said mining operations had ceased for some time while the Yandera mine, also in Madang, was awaiting the outcome of the court case.
Other mines, including Ok Tedi, had completed their independent studies and were operating.
Pundari said his department would be reviewing all Mining Act policies.

 

Petroleum minister rejects 'guinea pig' operations

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

 

THE government will not accept petroleum companies which have no proven records to operate in the country, The National reports.

Petroleum and Energy Minister Francis Potape said, after the ministerial review forum held at the Institute of Public Administration last Friday, he would also ban companies wanting to use technology not internationally-proven and accepted.

“PNG is not a guinea pig where technology can be tested,” he said.

“We will not allow technology that has not been accepted and that has not been internationally practised and approved.

“Any companies that want to develop petroleum projects in the country must also use and apply technology that is proven and satisfied internationally because PNG government will not entertain companies testing new technologies here.”

He said if companies such as InterOil wanted to test a floating LNG facility, then they should go elsewhere because such technology had never been practised anywhere in the world.

Potape, who has a master’s degree in engineering, said such technology would not be tested in PNG.

He said the proposed Antelope LNG project was questionable as they did not have a proven track record in the petroleum industry.

However, he said if the company wanted to operate a gas project, they should look for other partners with experience in the industry with a record of operating world-class projects.

“If InterOil wants to develop the Antelope project, it has to look for a world class partner to operate so that it can develop both the upstream and midstream facilities here in the country,” he said.

“This also applies to new and interested companies that want to develop petroleum projects in the country.”

Potape said he had spoken to the directors of InterOil in Singapore last week and informed them of the government’s expectations.

Polye throws down gauntlet

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

THE National Alliance party leadership has been further thrown into confusion with a row over who is the rightful highlands deputy party leader, The National reports.
Kandep MP Don Polye said he remained in that position. 
But, last week, the party's parliamentarians elected Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal to the position in Polye's absence.
Polye said the position would be contested at the party's highlands caucus in Goroka on Thursday. 
Polye had also challenged party members, who wanted to contest the National Alliance highlands' deputy leader position, to do so at the Goroka meeting. 
"Therefore, I remain deputy leader NA highlands and I call on all leaders from the region to turn up for the meeting,'' he said.
"I call on Abal to come to the meeting and contest the leadership."
Polye maintained he was elected to that position through the normal democratic process and no one, including Abal, could take the lea­dership away from him unless through the party caucus meeting in Goroka.
Polye said he would respect the decision of that meeting on who should hold that position.
"Leadership cannot be sold or bought but is something that is earned," he said.
"Every time when I am out, he (Abal) tries to take away my leadership at the cabinet level and calls for meetings to get me out. 
"But we have to follow the constitution of the party," he said. 
"I welcome such ac­tions through the normal democratic process of election that is through the secret ballot.
"It is a sad day to use threats to wrestle power from me.
"We've got to practise and encourage the norms and laws in place. 
"We cannot use un-constitutional and unethical processes to obtain leadership because it is a public thing."
Abal was last week suspended by the party for two months. 
But, on the same day he received his suspension letter, Abal was elected deputy leader of National Alliance by the highlands 
parliamentarians at a meeting in Port Moresby.
Polye pointed out that under section 10 of the party constitution, he should have been the one to call the meeting in the presence of the party executives – which was not done.
He said last week's meeting was not recognised because many procedures, as outlined in the party constitution, had not been followed.
He said he, as the duly elected leader, should have been given a 30-day notice to call a meeting.
"If not followed, then the members can call for election," he said.
Polye said the meeting this week would be conducted properly with all minutes taken and proper processes followed in accordance with the constitution.
"Until then, I am still the party deputy leader of National Alliance highlands and supported by the party executives," he said.