PNGBLOGS

FOR recipients of large cash sums, the above question is moot. They are blinded by the cash and all it promises. It does not matter a wit to them if it were proceeds of crime. We raise the question because the large cash sums and goods such as vehicles and banana boats being handed out by politicians like the realisation of the “cargo cult” dreams of yester-years might well be the proceed of crime. Applying public money for purposes it was not intended for is misapplication or abuse and, therefore, a crime. Even if the money were given for a constructive purpose, for instance the donation of a vehicle for police work in a district, it is still a fraud if the money were intended for something else. All public money is budgeted for each year. There are strict guidelines for use of public money whether they be allocated to departments or for programs. To transfer money from one vote to another without the proper authorisation is illegal. It is important therefore that each time a politici

FOR recipients of large cash sums, the above question is moot. They are blinded by the cash and all it promises. It does not matter a wit to them if it were proceeds of crime. We raise the question because the large cash sums and goods such as vehicles and banana boats being handed out by politicians like the realisation of the “cargo cult” dreams of yester-years might well be the proceed of crime. Applying public money for purposes it was not intended for is misapplication or abuse and, therefore, a crime. Even if the money were given for a constructive purpose, for instance the donation of a vehicle for police work in a district, it is still a fraud if the money were intended for something else. All public money is budgeted for each year. There are strict guidelines for use of public money whether they be allocated to departments or for programs. To transfer money from one vote to another without the proper authorisation is illegal. It is important therefore that each time a politi

PAPUA New Guinea's former planning minister Paul Tiensten has fled to Australia after being served with a summons to answer fraud and corruption allegations. Police in Kokopo, in East New Britain province, served Mr Tiensten with a summons on Tuesday to appear before a government taskforce and answer questions over the misappropriation of $A4.4 million in development funds in his electorate. But the next day, Mr Tiensten flew to PNG's capital Port Moresby and then to Brisbane after buying a ticket at the airport, said Sam Koim, chairman of the corruption task force. Mr Tiensten has since disappeared. "It is not known where he is at the moment," Mr Koim told AAP. "He bought a ticket at the airport, bought a ticket to Moresby and then all the way to Australia ... he disappeared. "We thought he was a gentleman and a leader - and as a gentleman and leader he would come (to the police)." Mr Koim said PNG is working closely with Australian authorities to find

PAPUA New Guinea's former planning minister Paul Tiensten has fled to Australia after being served with a summons to answer fraud and corruption allegations. Police in Kokopo, in East New Britain province, served Mr Tiensten with a summons on Tuesday to appear before a government taskforce and answer questions over the misappropriation of $A4.4 million in development funds in his electorate. But the next day, Mr Tiensten flew to PNG's capital Port Moresby and then to Brisbane after buying a ticket at the airport, said Sam Koim, chairman of the corruption task force. Mr Tiensten has since disappeared. "It is not known where he is at the moment," Mr Koim told AAP. "He bought a ticket at the airport, bought a ticket to Moresby and then all the way to Australia ... he disappeared. "We thought he was a gentleman and a leader - and as a gentleman and leader he would come (to the police)." Mr Koim said PNG is working closely with Australian authorities

Michael Somare has lost his bid to keep his seat in Papua New Guinea's parliament after a National Court judge ruled against the former prime minister's application for an injunction against his dismissal. Judge Allen David ruled yesterday he was unwilling to interfere in the processes of parliament and the matter was likely to form part of a Supreme Court case. "I am not minded to interfere with the processes of parliament," Judge David told the court. "The Supreme Court is the best court to decide these issues." Sir Michael had been seeking an injunction against his dumping from his East Sepik seat this month by Speaker Jeffery Nape, who said the former prime minister had missed three consecutive sittings of parliament - grounds for dismissal under PNG law. Outside the court yesterday, Sir Michael's lawyer, Kerenga Kua, said his client would appeal against the ruling. "We will be filing an application tomorrow for the Grand Chief to intervene in t

Michael Somare has lost his bid to keep his seat in Papua New Guinea's parliament after a National Court judge ruled against the former prime minister's application for an injunction against his dismissal. Judge Allen David ruled yesterday he was unwilling to interfere in the processes of parliament and the matter was likely to form part of a Supreme Court case. "I am not minded to interfere with the processes of parliament," Judge David told the court. "The Supreme Court is the best court to decide these issues." Sir Michael had been seeking an injunction against his dumping from his East Sepik seat this month by Speaker Jeffery Nape, who said the former prime minister had missed three consecutive sittings of parliament - grounds for dismissal under PNG law. Outside the court yesterday, Sir Michael's lawyer, Kerenga Kua, said his client would appeal against the ruling. "We will be filing an application tomorrow for the Grand Chief to intervene

Its an absolute disgrace, Australia's attitude towards Papua New Guineans at the High Commission. What's even worse is the apparently racist attitude that the Papua New Guinean staff have towards their own country folk. As a former Australian citizen and long term resident of PNG (I have been here since I was an infant) and married to a Papua New Guinean, I have sponsored relatives on several occasions to travel to Australia for short stays, for weddings, funerals and shopping trips. It's the same each time, and it's getting worse. The Papua New Guinean applicant first has to endure a half day wait in the sun or rain in the car park just to get a number to lodge an application (the High Commission has supplied cheap gazebos to provide shelter in the car park, these are useless). From the time applicants finally get to the counter to lodge their application, they are immediately treated with suspicion and contempt by the PNG officer who serves them. Of course my story is

Its an absolute disgrace, Australia's attitude towards Papua New Guineans at the High Commission. What's even worse is the apparently racist attitude that the Papua New Guinean staff have towards their own country folk. As a former Australian citizen and long term resident of PNG (I have been here since I was an infant) and married to a Papua New Guinean, I have sponsored relatives on several occasions to travel to Australia for short stays, for weddings, funerals and shopping trips. It's the same each time, and it's getting worse. The Papua New Guinean applicant first has to endure a half day wait in the sun or rain in the car park just to get a number to lodge an application (the High Commission has supplied cheap gazebos to provide shelter in the car park, these are useless). From the time applicants finally get to the counter to lodge their application, they are immediately treated with suspicion and contempt by the PNG officer who serves them. Of course my stor

APNG was not worth K95 Million. On correct valuation it was worth much less than that. The Aircrafts mainly Dash 8s were bought from Qantas on a firesale by Mr Simon Wild and were given replacement values double or tripple that. The Valuation of APNG done for the prospectus was by an unknown person who is not one of the professional or reputable valuers known in the Australian Aviation business. It was done by someone with an ABN number, and a hotmail address. For purposes of soliciting funds in a float, a superfund in prudent management of Contributors funds owes a fiduciary duty to carefully ensure it is not relying on valuation by backyard operators. Yet that is exactly what Rod did. Rod himself is not an Aircraft or Aviation specialist. So how can he believe whatever value that the Wilds were telling him? The answer- he cant. But he did. So the K95 Million Valuation is not reliable. It is likely, APNG was worth less, and it was. The Share price offered by Paul Maclaren/Wilds for A

APNG was not worth K95 Million. On correct valuation it was worth much less than that. The Aircrafts mainly Dash 8s were bought from Qantas on a firesale by Mr Simon Wild and were given replacement values double or tripple that. The Valuation of APNG done for the prospectus was by an unknown person who is not one of the professional or reputable valuers known in the Australian Aviation business. It was done by someone with an ABN number, and a hotmail address. For purposes of soliciting funds in a float, a superfund in prudent management of Contributors funds owes a fiduciary duty to carefully ensure it is not relying on valuation by backyard operators. Yet that is exactly what Rod did. Rod himself is not an Aircraft or Aviation specialist. So how can he believe whatever value that the Wilds were telling him? The answer- he cant. But he did. So the K95 Million Valuation is not reliable. It is likely, APNG was worth less, and it was. The Share price offered by Paul Maclaren/Wilds fo

POLICE Commissioner Anthony Wagambie was emphatic yesterday that police investigations into three politicians – Paul Tiensten, Peter Wararu and Francis Potape – are not politically motivated. He just wants them to step forward voluntarily for interviews on matters that are being investigated by the police. Unfortunately, the fact that all three MPs concerned are all senior members of the previous government who are presently in the opposition does appear to reasonable people as if it were some politics behind this issue. And this creates politics out of something that is one of the biggest threats to PNG – corruption. The National is of the opinion that the pursuit down this track can only end up with a lot of mud being thrown around and, in the end, will not serve the prime minister’s intent to rid PNG of corruption. We have said it before and we say it again: Except for the former opposition’s 20 MPs, every other member of the new government (about 50 in all) was part and parcel of t

POLICE Commissioner Anthony Wagambie was emphatic yesterday that police investigations into three politicians – Paul Tiensten, Peter Wararu and Francis Potape – are not politically motivated. He just wants them to step forward voluntarily for interviews on matters that are being investigated by the police. Unfortunately, the fact that all three MPs concerned are all senior members of the previous government who are presently in the opposition does appear to reasonable people as if it were some politics behind this issue. And this creates politics out of something that is one of the biggest threats to PNG – corruption. The National is of the opinion that the pursuit down this track can only end up with a lot of mud being thrown around and, in the end, will not serve the prime minister’s intent to rid PNG of corruption. We have said it before and we say it again: Except for the former opposition’s 20 MPs, every other member of the new government (about 50 in all) was part and parcel of

AN accountant who put on his first pair of shoes when he was 16 to visit his father's relatives in Melbourne has in six short weeks taken a firm grip on the steering wheel in Papua New Guinea. But this country, Australia's closest neighbour, a tinny ride away, is notoriously resistant to direction. It is on the cusp of rapid, overdue modernisation, or sinking back to tribalised subsistence. Especially today, Independence Day and a public holiday, the country's seven million people will be asking whether Peter O'Neill can succeed. It is 36 years since prime minister Gough Whitlam and governor-general John Kerr, with Prince Charles representing Queen Elizabeth, who remains PNG's head of state, formally declared the country independent, inaugurating a brief, sunny period of optimism for PNG's future until corruption began to take its terrible toll. The only Papua New Guinean most Australians can name is Michael Somare, who became prime minister at independence and

AN accountant who put on his first pair of shoes when he was 16 to visit his father's relatives in Melbourne has in six short weeks taken a firm grip on the steering wheel in Papua New Guinea. But this country, Australia's closest neighbour, a tinny ride away, is notoriously resistant to direction. It is on the cusp of rapid, overdue modernisation, or sinking back to tribalised subsistence. Especially today, Independence Day and a public holiday, the country's seven million people will be asking whether Peter O'Neill can succeed. It is 36 years since prime minister Gough Whitlam and governor-general John Kerr, with Prince Charles representing Queen Elizabeth, who remains PNG's head of state, formally declared the country independent, inaugurating a brief, sunny period of optimism for PNG's future until corruption began to take its terrible toll. The only Papua New Guinean most Australians can name is Michael Somare, who became prime minister at independence

On behalf of everyone here at PNGBLOGS, we want to wish you all a Safe and Happy September 16 Independence Celebrations. Stay safe PNG and celebrate the true meaning of bring free. Terry S PNGBLOGS

On behalf of everyone here at PNGBLOGS, we want to wish you all a Safe and Happy September 16 Independence Celebrations. Stay safe PNG and celebrate the true meaning of bring free. Terry S PNGBLOGS

So, the Opposition, with a bunch of disgruntled (or opportunistic) MPs on the former government benches, moved swiftly and installed a new government for PNG. It was certainly a piece of high political drama, at which PNG excels, and provided a contrast from the incessant infighting within the ruling party. Whether the process stands up to legal scrutiny will not be discussed in this column, beyond noting that it clearly enjoyed an absolute majority of MPs and that there’d been a disruptive power vacuum hitherto. Former Acting Prime Minister Abal should be commended for seeking to hold a somewhat unruly team together, and trying to impose standards, including launching an overdue inquiry into abuse of customary land (SABLs), in defiance of some party powerbrokers, and penalising some senior Ministers for apparent abuses (e.g. over licensing). Ultimately, however, Abal’s extended acting appointment was a poisoned chalice, lacking the universally-accepted mandate over power-