By JEFFREY ELAPA
MORE than K40 million from the Southern Highlands provincial treasury has been abused within a matter of three months, according to the acting provincial administrator William Powi, The National reports.
He alleged yesterday in Mendi that up to June, a huge sum of money from the provincial treasury was disbursed by the provincial government to shady projects.
He also claimed that a large sum of money was paid out within the first two weeks of this month, a few days before the National Executive Council re-appointed him to the post.
Powi is acting provincial administrator for a period of three months.
Supporters of Powi and the man he was to replace, Lawrence Olkoben, clashed in Mendi on Monday when he arrived to take up the post.
Powi claimed that the attack was orchestrated by Olkoben and his supporters to destroy the treasury records and documents by taking possession of the provincial treasury and the Agiru Centre.
Powi said acting provincial treasurer Kevin Pruno had informed him that K40 million from the provincial treasury had been expended over an alleged period of three months.
Powi said Pruno admitted that for all payments, Governor Anderson Agiru had listed payments detailing who should get how much and directed the officer of the provincial administrator and the provincial treasurer to issue Cash Flow Certificates and stamped what the governor wanted.
He said Pruno further admitted that Agiru had decided who should be paid and how much each person should receive, which was contrary to the Organic Law on the functions of the provincial governors, administrator and treasurers.
But Pruno, when contacted, denied giving the report and said he had never written to any media regarding the K40 million payout during Olkoben's time.
"When Powi asked me, I told him that less than K20 million was disbursed between January and June this year," he said.
He then said K7 million was spent on projects, wages and for administration costs and not K40 million as reported.
Pruno said the payments were made according to the budget of the provincial government and ranged from K300,000 to K400,000 for each project from January to June this year.
He said for example the Nipa and Mendi technical colleges received K700,000 each from the K7 million.
Agiru, when contacted, said he could not comment on an allegation but stated that directions had to be given on where to spend money according to budget.
He said the province had an internal revenue of about K60 million and was still after the Kutubu and Moran royalties in Port Moresby.
"I do not know what money they are referring to, I have no idea," he said.
However, he said generally any money belonging to the province had to be spent on projects as budgeted for.
He declined to comment further on Powi's "baseless" stories.
However, Powi had issued written instructions to Pruno to furnish him a detailed report on the usage of funds, verify and confirm whether the payments were budgeted for and whether they were in compliance with legal processes.
Pruno said the report was not ready and he could give it to the provincial administrator when completed.
However, Powi called on the national government to investigate the abuses which he alleged were "illegal, improper and went against the spirit of good governance".
"Provincial government and provincial governors are policy makers and do not have section 32 functions under the Public Finance Management Act.
"The national government must act immediately," he said.
Powi said the national government should recall Olkoben to Waigani to lay appropriate disciplinary charges against him for disobeying lawful directives and for instigating trouble in Mendi.
The police mobile units 09 and 05 from Tari and Mt Hagen had been dispatched in Mendi to protect state property and allow Powi to take control of the administration.
Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie is understood to be on the ground in Mendi.
Friday, August 19, 2011
East Sepik loses ‘money’ powers
By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE National Executive Council has suspended the financial powers of the East Sepik provincial government, The National reports.
Government sources said the council met on Wednesday and decided that all financial powers of the provincial government be withdrawn and reverted to Waigani.
Although the reason for the suspension has not been disclosed, it comes at a time when the East Sepik provincial executive council is seeking a Supreme Court reference on the election of the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill early this month.
It means that all financial powers are managed from Waigani, leaving the provincial government powerless to make decisions and expend funds for any purpose.
There are also talks around the corridors of power in Waigani that the government plans to remove similar financial powers from another provincial government soon. This, however, cannot be confirmed at this stage.
Text messages to members of the NEC to verify the suspension went unanswered.
A press conference scheduled for yesterday by O'Neill to inform the nation about some of the NEC decisions was cancelled and re-scheduled for today.
Responding yesterday to the government's decision to suspend the financial powers of the East Sepik provincial government, Angoram MP Arthur Somare said it was an unlawful and immoral act by an illegitimate regime.
"I strongly condemn this action to subvert a lawful special reference to the Supreme Court," Somare said.
"I call on the Ombudsman Commission, other constitutional office-holders and the public to see this latest ploy for what it is – a bold attempt to subvert the Constitution.
"This is a desperate action by a desperate group of politicians who are hungry for power and who are willing to destroy the constitutional foundations of our democratic society.
"These are desperate people who are willing to break the nation's laws to feed their hunger for greed and power."
Somare said it had been widely speculated in the past two days that the government was convening a National Executive Council meeting with the suspension of the East Sepik provincial government high on its agenda.
"I'm sure the legal advice they received indicated that suspension of the provincial government was only possible through a declaration of a national emergency, which would be impossible to prove,'' Somare said.
"As a result, they have adopted another illegal tactic by suspending the ESPG financial powers effective from Aug 18, 2011. An instrument to this effect has been signed by Treasurer Don Polye.
"Only evil-minded people can stoop to these levels.
"They have acted in this manner because they know that their Supreme Court case is weak. Their questionable regime is now attempting to financially cripple a court action that will show up the illegitimacy of their actions in parliament on Aug 2."
THE National Executive Council has suspended the financial powers of the East Sepik provincial government, The National reports.
Government sources said the council met on Wednesday and decided that all financial powers of the provincial government be withdrawn and reverted to Waigani.
Although the reason for the suspension has not been disclosed, it comes at a time when the East Sepik provincial executive council is seeking a Supreme Court reference on the election of the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill early this month.
It means that all financial powers are managed from Waigani, leaving the provincial government powerless to make decisions and expend funds for any purpose.
There are also talks around the corridors of power in Waigani that the government plans to remove similar financial powers from another provincial government soon. This, however, cannot be confirmed at this stage.
Text messages to members of the NEC to verify the suspension went unanswered.
A press conference scheduled for yesterday by O'Neill to inform the nation about some of the NEC decisions was cancelled and re-scheduled for today.
Responding yesterday to the government's decision to suspend the financial powers of the East Sepik provincial government, Angoram MP Arthur Somare said it was an unlawful and immoral act by an illegitimate regime.
"I strongly condemn this action to subvert a lawful special reference to the Supreme Court," Somare said.
"I call on the Ombudsman Commission, other constitutional office-holders and the public to see this latest ploy for what it is – a bold attempt to subvert the Constitution.
"This is a desperate action by a desperate group of politicians who are hungry for power and who are willing to destroy the constitutional foundations of our democratic society.
"These are desperate people who are willing to break the nation's laws to feed their hunger for greed and power."
Somare said it had been widely speculated in the past two days that the government was convening a National Executive Council meeting with the suspension of the East Sepik provincial government high on its agenda.
"I'm sure the legal advice they received indicated that suspension of the provincial government was only possible through a declaration of a national emergency, which would be impossible to prove,'' Somare said.
"As a result, they have adopted another illegal tactic by suspending the ESPG financial powers effective from Aug 18, 2011. An instrument to this effect has been signed by Treasurer Don Polye.
"Only evil-minded people can stoop to these levels.
"They have acted in this manner because they know that their Supreme Court case is weak. Their questionable regime is now attempting to financially cripple a court action that will show up the illegitimacy of their actions in parliament on Aug 2."
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ramu Agri Industries Ltd gives sweet K5,000 to Goroka Show
By MALUM NALU
Ramu Agri Industries Limited (RAIL) has given K5, 000 and 50 cartons of sugar sachets to the Goroka Show.
 |
| From left is John Piawu presenting the K5, 000 to chief inspector David Seine, deputy chairman of the Goroka Show organising committee. Looking on in the middle is Maurice Owens, national sales manager of RAIL |
While presenting the money and sugar to deputy show chairman Inspector David Seine, Owens said Ramu Sugar was a locally-grown product and RAIL’s focus was towards the cultural side of the Show.
The K5, 000 and sugar will go towards supporting the singsing groups that will participate in this year's show.
Seine thanked Owens and Piawu for travelling all the way from Gusap to make the donation and extended his appreciation on behalf of the organising Committee to the management of RAIL for coming on board to support this year's show.
He said RAIL had always sponsored the traditional singsing category and expressed his sincere gratitude for the support.
He said the sugar would be distributed to singsing groups for their morning tea and that should lighten the burden on the committee in feeding the singsing groups that would be coming from outside Eastern Highlands province.
Piawu said that RAIL hoped their support would assist in making this year's show bigger and better.
He said Goroka Show is the most-peaceful show in the country and that was attributed to the general peace-loving nature of Eastern Highlanders as well as the people in the organising committee.
Feud rocks PNG Brussels embassy
By FRANK SENGE KOLMA
THE Papua New Guinea embassy in Brussels is embroiled in a bitter feud involving a Belgian national working there and her employer, that threatens to spill into the courts of Belgium, The National reports.
Belgian national Martine-Ghislaine Victoria Chaplin van Camp has complained of sexual harassment, of being locked out of her office and of not being paid for four months, among other things.
Brussels head of mission Ambassador Peter Maginde, in turn, had accused van Camp of blackmail, of removing sensitive documents and the embassy cheque book to her home.
Maginde had engaged a Belgian law firm to assist in recovering embassy property.
Whatever the truth of the matter, letters have been sent to the king of Belgium, the Queen of England as the head of state of PNG, the governor-general and the two governments repeating her accusations and making damaging remarks against not just Maginde but the work habits and character of the people of PNG.
According to van Camp, the king of Belgium had directed two of its ministers to attend to the matter.
Yesterday, a senior PNG Foreign Affairs Department officer confirmed that "several correspondence" had been received relating to the matter, adding the department had urged Maginde to resolve it.
In e-mail correspondence with The National, van Camp gave graphic accounts of the sexual harassment which she claimed took place within the embassy precincts.
It got to a stage, she claimed, where she had to stop wearing skirts and had to go into the ambassador's office accompanied by minister Alois Tabereng or third secretary Aileen Boi.
Maginde described her allegations as "absolutely false, without basis of evidence and there is no truth in it".
He said he had engaged a law firm to sue her for defamation and character assassination and to recover PNG government property.
In a letter to secretary Michael Maue on April 4, van Camp said: "Since Ambassador Peter Maginde seems unwilling to understand his obligations in respect of the legislation of his hosting country – despite the several reminders from the protocol of the ministry of foreign affairs to backpay my salaries and social security payments, as much as to provide local staff with legal contracts and their due social benefit payments – his Majesty Albert II, king of Belgium, has requested two of his state ministers to take this matter into their hands."
Van Camp confirmed she had taken her administrative work home as her office door lock was changed and she could not access her office and she could not continue because of the harassment.
Maginde responded this week by accusing her of trying to blackmail the embassy.
He said between April and May last year, she was informed that her performance level was not to "our expectations and she was taking many days off so we warned her to improve and comply with all the required instructions".
In the end, he said the situation was untenable and her employment was terminated.
Maginde said: "She is almost 60 years of age and she claims that, due to her age, the embassy is responsible to employ her.
"We have said that is not possible and, thus, have terminated her (employment) officially as of January but legally-effected as of April 2011 due to the three months' notice under the Belgian laws.
"She has been paid all her entitlements and benefits due under law.
"She says that if we terminate her, she would destroy me so that is her intention for the emails to everywhere and everybody."
He said the Belgian foreign affairs had been briefed and had asked her to return all government documents and financial accounts including cheque books.
THE Papua New Guinea embassy in Brussels is embroiled in a bitter feud involving a Belgian national working there and her employer, that threatens to spill into the courts of Belgium, The National reports.
Belgian national Martine-Ghislaine Victoria Chaplin van Camp has complained of sexual harassment, of being locked out of her office and of not being paid for four months, among other things.
Brussels head of mission Ambassador Peter Maginde, in turn, had accused van Camp of blackmail, of removing sensitive documents and the embassy cheque book to her home.
Maginde had engaged a Belgian law firm to assist in recovering embassy property.
Whatever the truth of the matter, letters have been sent to the king of Belgium, the Queen of England as the head of state of PNG, the governor-general and the two governments repeating her accusations and making damaging remarks against not just Maginde but the work habits and character of the people of PNG.
According to van Camp, the king of Belgium had directed two of its ministers to attend to the matter.
Yesterday, a senior PNG Foreign Affairs Department officer confirmed that "several correspondence" had been received relating to the matter, adding the department had urged Maginde to resolve it.
In e-mail correspondence with The National, van Camp gave graphic accounts of the sexual harassment which she claimed took place within the embassy precincts.
It got to a stage, she claimed, where she had to stop wearing skirts and had to go into the ambassador's office accompanied by minister Alois Tabereng or third secretary Aileen Boi.
Maginde described her allegations as "absolutely false, without basis of evidence and there is no truth in it".
He said he had engaged a law firm to sue her for defamation and character assassination and to recover PNG government property.
In a letter to secretary Michael Maue on April 4, van Camp said: "Since Ambassador Peter Maginde seems unwilling to understand his obligations in respect of the legislation of his hosting country – despite the several reminders from the protocol of the ministry of foreign affairs to backpay my salaries and social security payments, as much as to provide local staff with legal contracts and their due social benefit payments – his Majesty Albert II, king of Belgium, has requested two of his state ministers to take this matter into their hands."
Van Camp confirmed she had taken her administrative work home as her office door lock was changed and she could not access her office and she could not continue because of the harassment.
Maginde responded this week by accusing her of trying to blackmail the embassy.
He said between April and May last year, she was informed that her performance level was not to "our expectations and she was taking many days off so we warned her to improve and comply with all the required instructions".
In the end, he said the situation was untenable and her employment was terminated.
Maginde said: "She is almost 60 years of age and she claims that, due to her age, the embassy is responsible to employ her.
"We have said that is not possible and, thus, have terminated her (employment) officially as of January but legally-effected as of April 2011 due to the three months' notice under the Belgian laws.
"She has been paid all her entitlements and benefits due under law.
"She says that if we terminate her, she would destroy me so that is her intention for the emails to everywhere and everybody."
He said the Belgian foreign affairs had been briefed and had asked her to return all government documents and financial accounts including cheque books.
Obama hails PM O’Neill
UNITED States President Barack Obama has congratulated Peter O'Neill on his election as the prime minister of Papua New Guinea, The National reports.
This is the second congratulatory message sent to O'Neill and his two-week-old government by world leaders.
The first congratulatory message was sent two days after O'Neill was elected prime minister on Aug 2 by his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard.
Gillard phoned O'Neill to say that Canberra was ready to work with him and his new government.
Gillard and O'Neill stressed the importance of continuing the strong bilateral relations that existed and other issues like the Manus asylum seekers processing centre and AusAID programmes in the country.
Obama congratulated O'Neill through the United States embassy in Port Moresby.
His congratulatory message read: "Dear Mr Prime Minister. Congratulations on your recent appointment as prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
"Our nations have a shared interest in the promotion of democracy and rule of law, the preservation of environmental and cultural diversity and stability and prosperity in the Pacific region.
"I look forward to working closely with you and your government to promote these common interests, expand our bilateral economic ties and deepen our co-operation in the region.
"I am confident that through our combined efforts, we will strengthen the ties that bind our countries together and improve the lives of our people.
"Sincerely Yours, Barack Obama.
This is the second congratulatory message sent to O'Neill and his two-week-old government by world leaders.
The first congratulatory message was sent two days after O'Neill was elected prime minister on Aug 2 by his Australian counterpart, Julia Gillard.
Gillard phoned O'Neill to say that Canberra was ready to work with him and his new government.
Gillard and O'Neill stressed the importance of continuing the strong bilateral relations that existed and other issues like the Manus asylum seekers processing centre and AusAID programmes in the country.
Obama congratulated O'Neill through the United States embassy in Port Moresby.
His congratulatory message read: "Dear Mr Prime Minister. Congratulations on your recent appointment as prime minister of Papua New Guinea.
"Our nations have a shared interest in the promotion of democracy and rule of law, the preservation of environmental and cultural diversity and stability and prosperity in the Pacific region.
"I look forward to working closely with you and your government to promote these common interests, expand our bilateral economic ties and deepen our co-operation in the region.
"I am confident that through our combined efforts, we will strengthen the ties that bind our countries together and improve the lives of our people.
"Sincerely Yours, Barack Obama.
Waieng leads in Chimbu
By ZACHERY PER
PEOPLE's National Congress party candidate and former Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Peter Waieng was still ahead midway through the by-election elimination process when counting was suspended last night after the 22nd elimination, The National reports.
Waieng maintained a comfortable lead with 7,328 votes, a difference of 1,988 votes over his nearest rival and former agriculture minister Mathew Siune (5,240).
The six candidates who were eliminated yesterday included Francis Iwainde, John Siune Kela, Francis Otto Gugl, Kiak Bagle, Siune Kua and John Sie Wigle.
After the distribution of their preference votes among the remaining 21 candidates, PNC's Peter Waieng led with 7,328 votes, Siune was second on 5,240, PNG Constitutional Democratic Party candidate Tobias Kulang was third with 4,917 votes, People's Party man Paul Gende fourth on 4,180 and former Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Wagi Merimba was running fifth on 4,047 votes.
A total of 381 ballots had been exhausted after last night's elimination leaving the 21 surviving candidates sharing a total of 51,643 votes.
Chimbu provincial election manager Steven Gore Kaupa said at the Kundiawa Lutheran Day High School the elimination would slow down when the elimination reached the 900 and more than 1,000-vote mark.
Kaupa said they were on track to complete the counting before Aug 26.
PEOPLE's National Congress party candidate and former Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Peter Waieng was still ahead midway through the by-election elimination process when counting was suspended last night after the 22nd elimination, The National reports.
Waieng maintained a comfortable lead with 7,328 votes, a difference of 1,988 votes over his nearest rival and former agriculture minister Mathew Siune (5,240).
The six candidates who were eliminated yesterday included Francis Iwainde, John Siune Kela, Francis Otto Gugl, Kiak Bagle, Siune Kua and John Sie Wigle.
After the distribution of their preference votes among the remaining 21 candidates, PNC's Peter Waieng led with 7,328 votes, Siune was second on 5,240, PNG Constitutional Democratic Party candidate Tobias Kulang was third with 4,917 votes, People's Party man Paul Gende fourth on 4,180 and former Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Wagi Merimba was running fifth on 4,047 votes.
A total of 381 ballots had been exhausted after last night's elimination leaving the 21 surviving candidates sharing a total of 51,643 votes.
Chimbu provincial election manager Steven Gore Kaupa said at the Kundiawa Lutheran Day High School the elimination would slow down when the elimination reached the 900 and more than 1,000-vote mark.
Kaupa said they were on track to complete the counting before Aug 26.
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