PNGBLOGS

In what seems a relentless cycle of resource companies lining up to take a bite out of Bougainville, on Monday Nevis Capital Corporation purchased a 50% stake in Tall J (PNG) Ltd (see the announcement below). Tall J, is currently owned by Stephen Strauss, whose was the subject of a expose published via the MicroKhan blog in 2011, which includes a detailed response from Strauss himself (see below). According to the company press release Tall J has rights to pristine Bougainville forest with timber valued at $1.3 billion, in addition to mineral exploration rights over 255,000 acres of land. So what do we know about this company who has evidently purchased a large chunk of Bougainville? Not much. It has one subsidiary, registered in, gulp, Costa Rica, which focuses on the online gaming industry. From one swindling industry to another, it would seem. And the company’s website hardly inspires confidence, either. http://www.neviscapcorp.com/ But as long as government economic policy hinges

NATIONAL COURT ISSUES INTERIM STAY ON PM'S ARREST UNTIL SUPREME COURT RULES ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENCE AND  NATIONAL COURT REVIEWS DISTRICT COURT'S DECISION. On Friday 18 July 2014, the National Court Judge Gavara-Nanu granted leave (gave permission) to the PM for Judicial Review of the District Court decision refusing the Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki's request to set aside or withdraw the arrest warrants against him (O’Neill). In the handing down his decision Judge Gavara-Nanu issued the following orders (summarized). 1) The PM is be allowed to join Vaki's application for leave as 2nd Plaintiff seeking Judicial Review of the District Court decision. 2) Leave is granted to the PM for Judicial Review of the decision of the District Court on 12 June 2014 issuing a warrant of arrest compelling Fraud Squad Members to arrest the PM for allegedly committing the criminal offence of Official Corruption. 3) Constitutional question be referred to the Supreme Cou

The Students Representative Council of the University of Papua New Guinea has clarified on the recent student impasse at the Campus. The focus of the clarification is based on the event occurred on Tuesday July 8th where the SRC President Bobby Yupi clears his position, the UPNG Southern Highlands and Hela students positions during the student impasse. SRC president Bobby Yupi stated on a press release that since my swearing into SRC office, I have to the best of my able judgment and wisdom placed above all else prioritizing of my fellow student’s academic welfare. Bobby stated that under my leadership, we approached two inter-twining controversial issues (UBS Loan and the State’s acquisition of 10.1% share in the Oil Search Limited) of national significance without the academic semester (semester 1) being interrupted in any single way. It is stated that in the same manner the SRC was trying to address the Paraka Saga issue but few students instigated and turned everything around and

By Steven Mark  Over the last few months, there have been at least 2 protest gatherings advertised on the internet where hardly anyone came.  It is unclear who announced these marches or what organising they did behind the scenes.   But the damage is done and the O’Neill government is now confident that the anticorruption movement is weak, disorganised and of no threat.   The public that supports the anticorruption protest movement were demoralised by the protests that never materialised.   Those involved in coming up with these ghost protests placed too much false hope and made too little organisational effort to make the protests successful.  They seemed to think that advertising alone would bring out participants.   This is yet another example of the lazy, short-cutting, excessively optimistic, blind chance taking, triam tasol without any planning kind of attitude that has held our country back time and time again. “Hope without strategic planning is meaningless, strategic pl

By A Renegade Against Corruption UPNG’s students have been thrown into a state of confusion over last Friday’s full page advertisement in The National, in which the supposedly “deposed” UPNG SRC President Bobby Yupi defended his actions during UPNG saga 2014.   That advert cost a mountain of kina coins, which begs the questions:    Who paid for it?     Did Bobby Yupi pay for this advert out of SRC funds, or was the advert bought by some unnamed donor? If from SRC funds, who approved it?   Wasn’t there an SRC officer’s vote of no confidence against Bobby Yupi?  Hasn’t he been kicked out as SRC president for his despicable stone age tribal attack behaviour last week?  Are there no SRC checks and balances in place to stop SRC money from being spent so wastefully?   Is the UPNG SRC Presidency a dictatorship where the occupant can do whatever he or she wants?  And what happened to interim SRC president Diddley Aheng?  Is Diddley proving to be an ineffective whimp a

By Insider This is a compilation of many conversations I have had over at least a year.   Some of the following information came from private discussions with staff working in the Prime Minister’s office.  The PM’s office does not have the PM’s most trusted allies, but those allies still talk, and some of that talk ends up hitting the ears of those inside the PM’s office, which of course include his media unit. By the way, even the PM’s legal defence talks after hours and some information came from legal sources assisting the PM’s defence. From all these conversations, I have put together an overall plan our Prime Minister seems to be using to worm his way out of all the current scandals that surround him.  He probably doesn’t much care whether everyone knows about his plan or not.   As we all know, as a people there are hardly any activists amongst us.  From the bottom to the top, nearly everyone is ignorant of what government does or how it is structured.  Most rarely see a newspa

There was a lengthy scuffle yesterday outside the Waigani court house between 2 factions of police.  Both were waiting for the emergence of mega-millions thief and Indonesian fugitive (but now PNG citizen!) Djoko Tjandra’s best friend and big money benefactor, otherwise known as Attorney General Ano Pala. Only in Papua New Guinea would police be scuffling with other police over whether or not a legally valid arrest warrant would be served.    That, in fact, was what caused the pushing match. Only in Papua New Guinea would there not be screaming daily editorials demanding that public officials adhere to the rule of law and serving of a legal warrant.   Instead, yesterday’s editorial title in the PC was the meek “Vodafone Good for Competition” while in the National it was the milder “Japan, PNG reaffirm strong ties”.    And only in Papua New Guinea will its citizens respond to this outrage against democracy – police pushing around police to keep a valid arrest warrant from being served

Peter O'Neill's outrigger and disgraceful Police Commissioner, Geoffrey Vaki demanded all other criminal files involving Prime Minister O'Neill. Sources close to Mr Vaki reveal this morning that Mr Vaki directed Acting ACP Crimes, Mr Peter Guinness to request Fraud Squad Director to submit all other files including the controversial K50 million payment to his closely aligned Israeli Company, LR Group to procure 2 mobile power generators. However, unwavering Director of Fraud Squad, Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru refused to submit the files hence requested Vaki to put his directive in writing to him. Mr Vaki is understood to be apprehensive and instead continuously making verbal requests. Mr Vaki is also questioning how Fraud Squad could register fraud allegations when these allegations are supposed to be registered in other police stations like Boroko. Wow????? Indirectly, he is suggesting that Fraud Squad should be closed down. Fraud Squad had registered comp