Whose telling the truth?
By LUCAS KIAP
Thank you the Chairman of the Investigation Task-Force Sweep Mr. Sam Koim for shedding some light on the issue of the alleged fraudulent payment of K71.8 million to Paul Paraka Lawyers (PPL).
Your media release, dated 7th January 2014 on the issue of the alleged fraudulent payment of K71.8 million to Paul Paraka Lawyers has not only helped clarify the status of the investigations, which you are heading but also bridge the nation, which has been torn apart by the issue as well as erasing any doubt the people may have had developed about the credibility of this government’s seriousness and willingness to fight against corruption.
You may have along the way encountered criticisms because the case involves public funds, the money which belongs to the people who are struggling to survive day-in-day-out, while the government on the other hand continues to preach about continued economic growth and big budget plans. You may also have encountered threats because corruption is deeply rooted in this country and those who are behind it may not give up easily.
Nevertheless, you may find yourself having a big group of followers and admirers out there for the work that you are doing without fear or favor because corruption in this country has become incurable like HIV/AIDS while the people desperately need answers and solutions. I am too one of your followers and admirers because I have been started talking about corruption since 2001 when I was a student at Unitech.
Though your media release may not go down well with others especially those who may be politically motivated, aligned or hell-bent such as the Opposition Leader or the rouge police officer who want to arrest the PM and his two senior ministers. Nevertheless your story captured the hearts and imaginations of the people of Papua New Guinea with the final assurance that no one is above the laws of this land. It’s only a matter of time the People of Papua New Guinea will prove that no one is in fact above the laws of this land.
Before we arrive at the final conclusion of no one is above the laws of this land after perhaps lengthily investigations of having to go through large volumes of documents, files and interviews with people and follow the trail of money, etc., let’s get back to where it all started.
It all started when a massive K71.8 million was paid to Paul Paraka Lawyers (PPL) between February 2012 and May 2013 during the time of the O’Neil Government’s so called “Year of Implementation”. Soon after the payments were made, Prime Minister Peter O’Neil himself through a Ministerial Directive commissioned the investigation on 13th May 2013 of the alleged fraudulent payment after it was exposed by the Opposition.
Before that as you mentioned in the brief history of the case; Paul Paraka’s involvement with the State started at the end of 2002 when the State instructed him to act on a number of State civil litigation matters which of course resulted in those legal fees and subsequently the claims. On a number of occasions, the State through the Court tried to stop those payments of legal fees owed while PPL successfully obtained staying those court decisions through the same Court and continue receiving payments of outstanding legal fees. This struggle continued until in May 2008 when the State instigated a commission of Enquiry into those payments and other similar claims against the State. Yes we all know Paul Paraka was prominently mentioned throughout the report, which the recommendations still toady not being implemented and the report itself must be collecting dust somewhere while those implicated, some of them are still around and entertain by the government.
It now seems that the claims against the State by PPL for legal fees for services rendered to the State has a rich history decorated with court injunctions and orders of which, every MP in the current O’Neil government should have been aware of except those who only recently win the elections in 2012 and never been worked with the public service before or just born recently and still learn to read and write.
The question now that everyone should be asking is. How could it be possible for Paul Paraka, only armed with a forged letter of the PM, went straight to the State’s coffers and helped himself got paid with a staggering K71.8 million of public funds without further questions being asked or confirmations required from where the forged letter originated and from where the funds being kept?
A huge K71.8 million of public funds paid out to PPL, which never been possible before during Sir Michael Somare’s government but only possible within less than two years of the O’Neil’s government with no traces of phone calls, mobile text messages, letter, faxes or even verbal communications between the PM’s office and Finance and Treasury departments is strangely seem a clean sweep by a professional fraudster yet an established businessman, a prominent lawyer and an household name in the country like Paul Paraka.
It may be tempted to trace the trail of money to where it ended up or with whom in order to exhaust all avenues and accumulate a large volume of documents to justify the lengthily investigation and to prove beyond reasonable doubt of one’s guiltiness or innocence, and subsequently to prove no one is above the laws of this land, but at the outset it must be first established how these funds made its way out under the close watch of political leaders in this country.
The truth may be out there but the denial by the PM of his signature including two of his senior Ministers; Don Poyle and James Marape of their involvement, we are now lead to believe for the benefit of doubt that the sole culprit is Paul Paraka with his legal firm, Paul Paraka Lawyers. He has brought himself so low to forge the signature of the PM and with all these investigations, definitely the wrath of the PM is now upon him.
Mr. Paraka may thought it was fun to experiment forging the PM’s signature and hopping if it was going to work or not but now that it did work, he has to pay dearly not only with the cancellation of his law practicing license but his reputation as a prominent lawyer, businessman and household name in PNG. Or he has to publically deny or confirm forging the signature of the PM.
And one more last thing and in fact our only hope and truth that we all want to see, feel and touch before we die. We have gone down this road before with the NPF, Finance Commission of Enquiry, The Moti Gate Affair, the Cayman Islands Investment, RESI funds, the killing of the UPNG students in 1999, and all other countless commission of enquiries and investigations; the reports, which never been published and made available to the public but are hidden somewhere to collect dust.
If any of you are new to this country; welcome to the Banana Republic of Papua New Guinea, the country where lies become truths and truths become lies.
Thank you the Chairman of the Investigation Task-Force Sweep Mr. Sam Koim for shedding some light on the issue of the alleged fraudulent payment of K71.8 million to Paul Paraka Lawyers (PPL).
Your media release, dated 7th January 2014 on the issue of the alleged fraudulent payment of K71.8 million to Paul Paraka Lawyers has not only helped clarify the status of the investigations, which you are heading but also bridge the nation, which has been torn apart by the issue as well as erasing any doubt the people may have had developed about the credibility of this government’s seriousness and willingness to fight against corruption.
You may have along the way encountered criticisms because the case involves public funds, the money which belongs to the people who are struggling to survive day-in-day-out, while the government on the other hand continues to preach about continued economic growth and big budget plans. You may also have encountered threats because corruption is deeply rooted in this country and those who are behind it may not give up easily.
Nevertheless, you may find yourself having a big group of followers and admirers out there for the work that you are doing without fear or favor because corruption in this country has become incurable like HIV/AIDS while the people desperately need answers and solutions. I am too one of your followers and admirers because I have been started talking about corruption since 2001 when I was a student at Unitech.
Though your media release may not go down well with others especially those who may be politically motivated, aligned or hell-bent such as the Opposition Leader or the rouge police officer who want to arrest the PM and his two senior ministers. Nevertheless your story captured the hearts and imaginations of the people of Papua New Guinea with the final assurance that no one is above the laws of this land. It’s only a matter of time the People of Papua New Guinea will prove that no one is in fact above the laws of this land.
Before we arrive at the final conclusion of no one is above the laws of this land after perhaps lengthily investigations of having to go through large volumes of documents, files and interviews with people and follow the trail of money, etc., let’s get back to where it all started.
It all started when a massive K71.8 million was paid to Paul Paraka Lawyers (PPL) between February 2012 and May 2013 during the time of the O’Neil Government’s so called “Year of Implementation”. Soon after the payments were made, Prime Minister Peter O’Neil himself through a Ministerial Directive commissioned the investigation on 13th May 2013 of the alleged fraudulent payment after it was exposed by the Opposition.
Before that as you mentioned in the brief history of the case; Paul Paraka’s involvement with the State started at the end of 2002 when the State instructed him to act on a number of State civil litigation matters which of course resulted in those legal fees and subsequently the claims. On a number of occasions, the State through the Court tried to stop those payments of legal fees owed while PPL successfully obtained staying those court decisions through the same Court and continue receiving payments of outstanding legal fees. This struggle continued until in May 2008 when the State instigated a commission of Enquiry into those payments and other similar claims against the State. Yes we all know Paul Paraka was prominently mentioned throughout the report, which the recommendations still toady not being implemented and the report itself must be collecting dust somewhere while those implicated, some of them are still around and entertain by the government.
It now seems that the claims against the State by PPL for legal fees for services rendered to the State has a rich history decorated with court injunctions and orders of which, every MP in the current O’Neil government should have been aware of except those who only recently win the elections in 2012 and never been worked with the public service before or just born recently and still learn to read and write.
The question now that everyone should be asking is. How could it be possible for Paul Paraka, only armed with a forged letter of the PM, went straight to the State’s coffers and helped himself got paid with a staggering K71.8 million of public funds without further questions being asked or confirmations required from where the forged letter originated and from where the funds being kept?
A huge K71.8 million of public funds paid out to PPL, which never been possible before during Sir Michael Somare’s government but only possible within less than two years of the O’Neil’s government with no traces of phone calls, mobile text messages, letter, faxes or even verbal communications between the PM’s office and Finance and Treasury departments is strangely seem a clean sweep by a professional fraudster yet an established businessman, a prominent lawyer and an household name in the country like Paul Paraka.
It may be tempted to trace the trail of money to where it ended up or with whom in order to exhaust all avenues and accumulate a large volume of documents to justify the lengthily investigation and to prove beyond reasonable doubt of one’s guiltiness or innocence, and subsequently to prove no one is above the laws of this land, but at the outset it must be first established how these funds made its way out under the close watch of political leaders in this country.
The truth may be out there but the denial by the PM of his signature including two of his senior Ministers; Don Poyle and James Marape of their involvement, we are now lead to believe for the benefit of doubt that the sole culprit is Paul Paraka with his legal firm, Paul Paraka Lawyers. He has brought himself so low to forge the signature of the PM and with all these investigations, definitely the wrath of the PM is now upon him.
Mr. Paraka may thought it was fun to experiment forging the PM’s signature and hopping if it was going to work or not but now that it did work, he has to pay dearly not only with the cancellation of his law practicing license but his reputation as a prominent lawyer, businessman and household name in PNG. Or he has to publically deny or confirm forging the signature of the PM.
And one more last thing and in fact our only hope and truth that we all want to see, feel and touch before we die. We have gone down this road before with the NPF, Finance Commission of Enquiry, The Moti Gate Affair, the Cayman Islands Investment, RESI funds, the killing of the UPNG students in 1999, and all other countless commission of enquiries and investigations; the reports, which never been published and made available to the public but are hidden somewhere to collect dust.
If any of you are new to this country; welcome to the Banana Republic of Papua New Guinea, the country where lies become truths and truths become lies.
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