PNGBLOGS

By: JOHN KERENGA GUGL It is not fair and just for small people put to death for robbing whatever amount even K50 000.00 or less while white collar criminals (big people) stealing five million Kina and above can escape the death penalty. These Laws are totally harsh and unfair to the small people. Reality in monetary values, it is always the politicians and senior bureaucrats who steal or corrupt millions of Kina and can affort to make laws to walk away from death penalty while small people will face it. As a nation we have to identify the real causes of the problems why someone resorts to rape? Why politicians and bureaucrats decided to corrupt? Why a poor guy decided to rob? Why a humble citizen decided to murder? Why Public Servants decided to steal people’s money? The answer boils down to one common denominator is the demand of Money. Since death penalty is a law and money seems to be the real cause of evil, the Government by now should be responsible for its own laws by strategizin

By: JOHN KERENGA GUGL It is not fair and just for small people put to death for robbing whatever amount even K50 000.00 or less while white collar criminals (big people) stealing five million Kina and above can escape the death penalty. These Laws are totally harsh and unfair to the small people. Reality in monetary values, it is always the politicians and senior bureaucrats who steal or corrupt millions of Kina and can affort to make laws to walk away from death penalty while small people will face it. As a nation we have to identify the real causes of the problems why someone resorts to rape? Why politicians and bureaucrats decided to corrupt? Why a poor guy decided to rob? Why a humble citizen decided to murder? Why Public Servants decided to steal people’s money? The answer boils down to one common denominator is the demand of Money. Since death penalty is a law and money seems to be the real cause of evil, the Government by now should be responsible for its own laws by str

By LUCAS KIAP                        My faith and hope about the Task Force Team to fight corruption has diminished after I saw the headline of the front page of Post Courier this morning (Friday, May 31, 2013), which read, “Wartoto nabbed”. The Chairman of the Task Force Sweep Team, according to this paper (Post Courier), said and I quote, “As a matter of Law, Mr Wartoto remains innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law”. He also said and I quote again, “The intentions of the government may have been genuine but greed, lack of management and monitoring, parking funds in authorities/agencies that lacked capacity to managed them and political patronage had resulted in millions of Kina being stolen and wasted”. We are forced to believe and have faith in our laws which had never been used successfully to prosecute and put behind bars white collar criminals. If there are such laws exist to prosecute white-collar criminals, then the people of Papua New Guinea no longer have faith in

By LUCAS KIAP                        My faith and hope about the Task Force Team to fight corruption has diminished after I saw the headline of the front page of Post Courier this morning (Friday, May 31, 2013), which read, “Wartoto nabbed”. The Chairman of the Task Force Sweep Team, according to this paper (Post Courier), said and I quote, “As a matter of Law, Mr Wartoto remains innocent until proven otherwise by a court of law”. He also said and I quote again, “The intentions of the government may have been genuine but greed, lack of management and monitoring, parking funds in authorities/agencies that lacked capacity to managed them and political patronage had resulted in millions of Kina being stolen and wasted”. We are forced to believe and have faith in our laws which had never been used successfully to prosecute and put behind bars white collar criminals. If there are such laws exist to prosecute white-collar criminals, then the people of Papua New Guinea no longer have

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill likes to talk tough about cracking down on corruption but his own Chief of Staff was recommended for prosecution in the Finance Department Commission of Inquiry report for fraudulently claiming K3.7 million as part of the Paraka Scams which have cost PNG hundreds of million… Former Ambassador to the European Union, Departmental Head and Consultant to the Prime Minister, Isaac Lupari stole K3.7 million from the people of PNG through false claims for breach of contract according to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department. The false claims were drafted and submitted by Guguna Garo, of Paul Paraka lawyers, and were illegally settled by the then Solicitor General, Zachary Gelu. In addition to the K3.7 million, a further K800,000 was paid to Paul Paraka lawyers from public funds for their role in facilitating the fraud. The Commission of Inquiry has recommended Isaac Lupari, Zacchary Gelu and Guguna Garo all be investigated by the po

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill likes to talk tough about cracking down on corruption but his own Chief of Staff was recommended for prosecution in the Finance Department Commission of Inquiry report for fraudulently claiming K3.7 million as part of the Paraka Scams which have cost PNG hundreds of million… Former Ambassador to the European Union, Departmental Head and Consultant to the Prime Minister, Isaac Lupari stole K3.7 million from the people of PNG through false claims for breach of contract according to the findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department. The false claims were drafted and submitted by Guguna Garo, of Paul Paraka lawyers, and were illegally settled by the then Solicitor General, Zachary Gelu. In addition to the K3.7 million, a further K800,000 was paid to Paul Paraka lawyers from public funds for their role in facilitating the fraud. The Commission of Inquiry has recommended Isaac Lupari, Zacchary Gelu and Guguna Garo all be investigated by the

PARLIAMENT yesterday gave a resounding aye to amendments to the Criminal Code Act that raised penalties for serious crimes including stealing and misappropriation. The death penalty will apply for crimes such as aggravated rape, sorcery-related killings and robbery with violence.  The Criminal Code Act (Amendment Bill 2013), which was passed on a voice vote, repealed the Sorcery Act 1971. Killings connected with sorcery will now be treated as wilful murder and the penalty is death. Aggravated rape is defined as rape using dangerous wea­pons or rape in the company of one or more persons or where grievous bodily harm is caused and where the victim is a child under 10 years.  The new laws have increased the penalties for kidnapping which will now carry a maximum prison term of 50 years without remission or parole while kidnapping for ransom, a new kind of crime, now carries maximum penalty of life imprisonment without remission and parole. As for stealing of monies between K5 million and

PARLIAMENT yesterday gave a resounding aye to amendments to the Criminal Code Act that raised penalties for serious crimes including stealing and misappropriation. The death penalty will apply for crimes such as aggravated rape, sorcery-related killings and robbery with violence.  The Criminal Code Act (Amendment Bill 2013), which was passed on a voice vote, repealed the Sorcery Act 1971. Killings connected with sorcery will now be treated as wilful murder and the penalty is death. Aggravated rape is defined as rape using dangerous wea­pons or rape in the company of one or more persons or where grievous bodily harm is caused and where the victim is a child under 10 years.  The new laws have increased the penalties for kidnapping which will now carry a maximum prison term of 50 years without remission or parole while kidnapping for ransom, a new kind of crime, now carries maximum penalty of life imprisonment without remission and parole. As for stealing of monies between K5 milli

By SONJA BARRY RAMOI "Indai blo Ludwig soim mi olsem mi i mas reconcile wantaim Grand Chief" (Ludwig's death has shown me that I must reconcile with the Grand Chief) - the Opposition Leader Belden Namah said inside the packed Catholic church in Angoram during the funeral service held for the late member for Angoram, Ludwig Schulze who sadly passed away in April this year. The self made, straight talking multi-millionaire member of parliament representing the West Sepik electorate of Vanimo Green knows he has to not just say sorry. He must perform kastom to show that he is truly sorry the traditional way - Sepik style. When Mr. Namah was asked "how many pigs can you put?'", he replied "find 1000. He is the Grand Chief you know". Former East Sepik Provincial Speaker and the a/Chairman of the Council of Chiefs, Isaac Wrongkalm wants the Member for East Sepik, Right Hon Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare to forgive Belden Namah for his role in the politica