PNGBLOGS

Associated Press Police were preparing to charge the son of Papua New Guinea's acting prime minister with murder Thursday after a 29-year-old waitress' body was found at the family home. A guard at the house told police he saw the son, Theo Abal, and the woman arrive home in the early hours of Monday and head for a garden on the premises. Police said the guard later heard the woman scream and that Abal confessed to killing her. Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said he personally reported the "alleged murder" to Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie on Monday after the woman's body was found at the home in the capital, Port Moresby. He made no comment on his son's alleged confession. Theo Abal was arrested at a Port Moresby hotel Tuesday night and was still in police custody Thursday. Police spokesman Supt. Dominic Kakas said police would charge Theo Abal, 21, with willful murder Thursday. He will likely make his first court appearance Friday when he is indicted, Kak

Associated Press Police were preparing to charge the son of Papua New Guinea's acting prime minister with murder Thursday after a 29-year-old waitress' body was found at the family home. A guard at the house told police he saw the son, Theo Abal, and the woman arrive home in the early hours of Monday and head for a garden on the premises. Police said the guard later heard the woman scream and that Abal confessed to killing her. Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said he personally reported the "alleged murder" to Police Commissioner Tony Wagambie on Monday after the woman's body was found at the home in the capital, Port Moresby. He made no comment on his son's alleged confession. Theo Abal was arrested at a Port Moresby hotel Tuesday night and was still in police custody Thursday. Police spokesman Supt. Dominic Kakas said police would charge Theo Abal, 21, with willful murder Thursday. He will likely make his first court appearance Friday when he is indicted

AAP PAPUA New Guinea's acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said his family were "immediate suspects" in a murder case today after the corpse of a woman was found inside his Port Moresby compound. Heading the Pacific nation while veteran leader Michael Somare recovers from heart surgery in Singapore, Abal said an "unfortunate and regrettable incident" had taken place at the family home at the weekend. "The alleged murder took place within the perimeters of my private home," Abal said in a statement published by the Post Courier newspaper today. "All family members living with me are immediate suspects and are subject to investigation and questioning by police," he added. Abal had recently moved to a hotel and was not living at the Konedobu address, the newspaper said. The prime minister said he had personally called PNG's police commissioner about the matter and promised to "fully co-operate" with the investigation. "We will not

AAP PAPUA New Guinea's acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said his family were "immediate suspects" in a murder case today after the corpse of a woman was found inside his Port Moresby compound. Heading the Pacific nation while veteran leader Michael Somare recovers from heart surgery in Singapore, Abal said an "unfortunate and regrettable incident" had taken place at the family home at the weekend. "The alleged murder took place within the perimeters of my private home," Abal said in a statement published by the Post Courier newspaper today. "All family members living with me are immediate suspects and are subject to investigation and questioning by police," he added. Abal had recently moved to a hotel and was not living at the Konedobu address, the newspaper said. The prime minister said he had personally called PNG's police commissioner about the matter and promised to "fully co-operate" with the investigation. "We w

The Australian FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected a request from former Papua New Guinea prime minister Rabbie Namaliu that he to fly to Port Moresby to rescue the Gillard government's floundering asylum seeker deal. A spokesman for the Foreign Minister said: "Mr Rudd has no plans to travel to PNG at the near future. The PNG leadership is currently focused on issues other than the proposal for a regional processing centre." Sir Rabbie told The Australian on Sunday that last week's sacking of foreign minister Don Polye "put the relationship with Australia in a situation where nothing will happen on the asylum-seeker issue while Port Moresby's focus is on domestic politics". He said the key to concluding the deal would be "for the Australian government to send someone senior to PNG -- and I think if Kevin Rudd came up, the proposal would be made to work". He said that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal, who sacked Mr Polye for plotting to oust

The Australian FOREIGN Minister Kevin Rudd has rejected a request from former Papua New Guinea prime minister Rabbie Namaliu that he to fly to Port Moresby to rescue the Gillard government's floundering asylum seeker deal. A spokesman for the Foreign Minister said: "Mr Rudd has no plans to travel to PNG at the near future. The PNG leadership is currently focused on issues other than the proposal for a regional processing centre." Sir Rabbie told The Australian on Sunday that last week's sacking of foreign minister Don Polye "put the relationship with Australia in a situation where nothing will happen on the asylum-seeker issue while Port Moresby's focus is on domestic politics". He said the key to concluding the deal would be "for the Australian government to send someone senior to PNG -- and I think if Kevin Rudd came up, the proposal would be made to work". He said that Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal, who sacked Mr Polye for plotting to

NASFUND CONTRIBUTOR The media in PNG is sickening in the sense that it lacks balanced investigative journalism. This story about the PNG Media Council misusing close to K2 million of AusAID money paints an even more scary scenario about PNG’s media. (RADIO AUSTRALIA, Mon, 6 Jun 2011) ---- A senior figure in Papua New Guinea's media council has been suspended after an audit of Australian aid found anecdotal evidence of fraud. Executive director Nimo Kama has been suspended after an independent audit of AusAID's funding to the organisation. AusAID said the audit found funds “had not been managed in accordance with procurement guidelines” and there was “anecdotal evidence of fraud”. A spokesman declined to say how much money is involved, but the ABC understands it is a few thousand dollars. AusAID provided the council with $US500, 000 in 2010, but further funding has been withheld until an investigation is complete. Council president Joe Kanekane has confirmed Kama's suspensi

NASFUND CONTRIBUTOR The media in PNG is sickening in the sense that it lacks balanced investigative journalism. This story about the PNG Media Council misusing close to K2 million of AusAID money paints an even more scary scenario about PNG’s media. (RADIO AUSTRALIA, Mon, 6 Jun 2011) ---- A senior figure in Papua New Guinea's media council has been suspended after an audit of Australian aid found anecdotal evidence of fraud. Executive director Nimo Kama has been suspended after an independent audit of AusAID's funding to the organisation. AusAID said the audit found funds “had not been managed in accordance with procurement guidelines” and there was “anecdotal evidence of fraud”. A spokesman declined to say how much money is involved, but the ABC understands it is a few thousand dollars. AusAID provided the council with $US500, 000 in 2010, but further funding has been withheld until an investigation is complete. Council president Joe Kanekane has confirmed Kama's susp

POST COURIER The PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union with other sister union members who contribute to Nasfund are planning to stage a one day nationwide stop work. They want to protest against the Nasfund Executive Management and board members for illegally disbursing K125 million to National Capital Limited Kokopo project. The PNG Maritime and Transport Workers Union president John Mahuk made the announcement in a press statement yesterday. Mr Mahuk said the exact date of the stop work would be announced soon after a rally to be staged at the Jack Pidik Park. Mr Mahuk said Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal confirmed on May 19 in a meeting with the union that the transaction was illegal. “Mr Abal gave us his undertaking to revisit the illegal process and make it legal for the Government to honour this transaction. “However, there are some legislative changes to be made to a relevant act to protect workers’ savings,” Mr Mahuk said. He said the PNG Maritime Union in a lunch time meeti