PNGBLOGS

FOCUS TAIWAN A diplomatic middleman in Taiwan's failed bid to forge diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea in 2006 was indicted Wednesday on breach of trust charges. Prosecutors recommended that Wu Shih-tsai, who is serving time in a local jail for other offenses, be given a 4.5-year prison sentence for embezzling US$29.8 million in government funds along with his accomplice. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in the indictment that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wired the money into a joint account held by Wu and Ching Chi-ju in a Singapore bank in September 2006 to be used to facilitate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Pacific country. The diplomatic bid failed, but the duo did not return the funds to the ministry, which found out later that the funds had been completely withdrawn from the bank account between November and December that year. Wu was arrested by law enforcement authorities when the scandal came to light at the end of former Pre

FOCUS TAIWAN A diplomatic middleman in Taiwan's failed bid to forge diplomatic ties with Papua New Guinea in 2006 was indicted Wednesday on breach of trust charges. Prosecutors recommended that Wu Shih-tsai, who is serving time in a local jail for other offenses, be given a 4.5-year prison sentence for embezzling US$29.8 million in government funds along with his accomplice. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office said in the indictment that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wired the money into a joint account held by Wu and Ching Chi-ju in a Singapore bank in September 2006 to be used to facilitate the establishment of diplomatic ties between Taiwan and the Pacific country. The diplomatic bid failed, but the duo did not return the funds to the ministry, which found out later that the funds had been completely withdrawn from the bank account between November and December that year. Wu was arrested by law enforcement authorities when the scandal came to light at the end of form

OP/ED Holiday, according to our understanding, is period of time when one is not at work. It is a time when one spend his or her time away from work, or the time he or she spend traveling or resting at home or somewhere where he or she is not working for a reward. Now, stepping aside is totally different from taking a holiday. Stepping aside or stepping down, if we are not wrong, is when someone leaves an important job or position and allow someone or somebody else take his or her place. For example, Joe Blow steps aside as general manager of Waigar Corporation to let someone else take his place. So when our father, the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare announced that he was stepping aside as Prime Minister, Papua New Guineans accepted that their leader had to take that radical decision because of the impending leadership tribunal that is to probe into charges relating to misconduct in office against him. Now Sir Michael is not a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law, so when he hand

OP/ED Holiday, according to our understanding, is period of time when one is not at work. It is a time when one spend his or her time away from work, or the time he or she spend traveling or resting at home or somewhere where he or she is not working for a reward. Now, stepping aside is totally different from taking a holiday. Stepping aside or stepping down, if we are not wrong, is when someone leaves an important job or position and allow someone or somebody else take his or her place. For example, Joe Blow steps aside as general manager of Waigar Corporation to let someone else take his place. So when our father, the Grand Chief, Sir Michael Somare announced that he was stepping aside as Prime Minister, Papua New Guineans accepted that their leader had to take that radical decision because of the impending leadership tribunal that is to probe into charges relating to misconduct in office against him. Now Sir Michael is not a lawyer or an expert in constitutional law, so when he

South Pacific Post Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is expected to resume duties next Monday [10 January]. Government insiders informed this newspaper last night that Sir Michael was returning to office from his home electorate because of the legal questions surrounding his decision to step aside as prime minister last month [to face a leadership tribunal for alleged failure to file financial returns]. "He is also coming back to work because of issues confronting the National Alliance Party over his decision to demote Don Polye and appoint Sam Abal as deputy PM and acting prime minister. "The National Alliance Highlands bloc have outstanding issues with him that he needs to deal with. There are other matters like the implementation of the 2011 supplementary budget, which raises some issues over good governance," one insider close to the National Executive Council [cabinet] said last night. This newspaper was unable to confirm this with the PM's office la

South Pacific Post Prime Minister Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare is expected to resume duties next Monday [10 January]. Government insiders informed this newspaper last night that Sir Michael was returning to office from his home electorate because of the legal questions surrounding his decision to step aside as prime minister last month [to face a leadership tribunal for alleged failure to file financial returns]. "He is also coming back to work because of issues confronting the National Alliance Party over his decision to demote Don Polye and appoint Sam Abal as deputy PM and acting prime minister. "The National Alliance Highlands bloc have outstanding issues with him that he needs to deal with. There are other matters like the implementation of the 2011 supplementary budget, which raises some issues over good governance," one insider close to the National Executive Council [cabinet] said last night. This newspaper was unable to confirm this with the PM's offi

Michael McKenna The Australian FROM his dingy, overcrowded cell in Port Moresby's Boroko prison, Jonathan Baure is already plotting his next assault on Australia's border. It has been 10 days since he stood on the shore of Daru Island, along the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, to see off 16 dinghies, carrying 119 PNG nationals - including 13 children - headed across the Torres Strait to reclaim their "birth right" of Australian citizenship. Baure, a former tile salesman, had planned and openly promoted the voyage for weeks. There was no shortage of willing passengers. Despite November's cholera outbreak on Daru, which killed 32 people, more than 400 supporters from all over the country flooded the island, paying Baure to join the unwieldy flotilla of banana boats. Leader of an emerging group of "Australian Papuans", Baure has for a decade waged a losing battle with Canberra to recognise that people from the former Australian territory of Papua were

Michael McKenna The Australian FROM his dingy, overcrowded cell in Port Moresby's Boroko prison, Jonathan Baure is already plotting his next assault on Australia's border. It has been 10 days since he stood on the shore of Daru Island, along the southeastern tip of Papua New Guinea, to see off 16 dinghies, carrying 119 PNG nationals - including 13 children - headed across the Torres Strait to reclaim their "birth right" of Australian citizenship. Baure, a former tile salesman, had planned and openly promoted the voyage for weeks. There was no shortage of willing passengers. Despite November's cholera outbreak on Daru, which killed 32 people, more than 400 supporters from all over the country flooded the island, paying Baure to join the unwieldy flotilla of banana boats. Leader of an emerging group of "Australian Papuans", Baure has for a decade waged a losing battle with Canberra to recognise that people from the former Australian territory of Pap

PNGBLOGS MP Sam Basil has criticized the Department of Conservation (DEC) for failing to regulate the mining industry in Papua New Guinea and ensure its operations are environmentally safe. "DEC has a responsibility on behalf of the Nation to ensure that mining operations are safe and will not damage the environment. Yet time after time the mines end up causing massive problems while DEC sits by and watches", says the MP. "We have already had massive pollution from Bougainville, Ok Tedi, Tolukuma and  Porgera mines and sadly now it is the same with the Hidden Valley project.  The PNG Government through DEC is telling the world that mining with pollution is normal in PNG and the people must accept that fact". Mr Basil has recently filed legal proceedings against the Hidden Valley mine in his constituency over its pollution of the Watut river. "It is not good enough for Minister Benny Allen to say DEC received an environmental audit report on the Hidden Valley mi