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David Arore, One of PNG’s Premiere Ratbags Short On Party Money

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BY ROBERT KELIN All Papua New Guineans, you should know about this man. His name is David Arore. He is a second term MP from Oro (Ijivitari). He is a one-time minister of higher education who in the process became one of PNG’s most celebrated clowns. He is an active partier, alcoholic and womaniser. He funds his vices by stealing our tax money. He escaped being found guilty of corruption by the courts last year (oh please – let’s not have more silly talk that in PNG, being found innocent in court means that you’re actually innocent of what you were accused of!). It doesn’t matter. Everyone who’s decent and knows anything about David Arore knows that he is one of PNG’s biggest pieces of shit. David Arore stole extensively from the Oro provincial government treasury when he could, then started stealing from the national treasury once he became Minister. He’s far from being as smart as Peter O’Neill and thus has never gotten into the big time money making rackets. In

What has happened to Papua New Guinea’s Sovereign Wealth Fund?

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By DAVID OSBORNE Since 2011 many have expected the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government to create a sovereign wealth fund (SWF) for the management of PNG’s widely anticipated LNG revenues. A requirement to do so was intended by a PNG law certified on 21 March 2012: the Organic Law for establishment of a Sovereign Wealth Fund. It was designed to ensure that all government revenues from minerals and petroleum passed through a stabilisation fund prior to flowing through to the National Budget in accordance with a specified formula, and that PNG LNG dividends accruing to the PNG Government would be paid into a development fund for PNG’s economic and social development. PNG started exporting LNG in May 2014 amidst expectations that resulting revenues will greatly benefit PNG. Yet no SWF has been established and its future prospects are currently mired in confusion, including uncertainty around the legal status of the 2012 Organic Law. SWF version 1 … In October 2011 the policy and legislat

IS OMBUDSMAN RIGO LUA CORRUPTLY PLAYING POLITICAL FAVOURITES?

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PNGBLOGS CONTRIBUTER NETWORK There have been suspicions about Rigo Lua ever since he was appointed Chief Ombudsman by Peter O’Neill in June 2013.   Any political appointee by Peter O’Neill becomes automatically suspect these days given that the Prime Minister has such a solid track record for appointing cronies and lackees to stand by his side and protect him.  The appointment of Acting Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki is merely the tip of the iceberg in questionable Peter O’Neill appointments.   He wants a friendly task force by his side and most certainly he doesn’t want to see an activist ombudsman poking around at what he’s been doing.    When Ombudman Lua started his job then proceeded to sit on a number of prosecution papers for MPs who had never turned in their 2012 election acquittals, inquiring minds began to wonder why the delay on such a straightforward matter.  Then came the back and forth paperwork between the ombudsman and Public Prosecutor Pondrus Kaluwin ov

Action Without Planning Is Like Running Backwards: Powes Parkop’s Growing Buai Ban Fiasco

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By Beka Maruka I wanted to get the title of this article right first before I wrote the rest of this article.  That’s because I want the story of Powes Parkop’s buai ban disaster to go down into internet archives in a way that it can be retrieved many years from now and people of the future will learn from the mistakes of today.  The Port Moresby buai ban is almost like a clown show, hilarious in the level of ineptness that its implementers have displayed.  It would all be worth a few loud and long laughs if there were not so many tragic elements.   I personally believe that our governor should have stuck to paying huge amounts of money to local rental car companies and equally outrageous sums to shady road construction supply companies as was revealed before the 2012 election when NCDC audit records came to light, the findings of which, incidentally, the governor tried at first to escape from, then defended with vague generalities hoping that no one would catch his trick.

SO WHEN WILL THE PUBLIC PROSECUTOR REFER THE PRIME MINISTER TO FACE THE LEADERSHIP TRIBUNAL?

By BRYAN KRAMER Three weeks ago (6 October 2014) I posted an article on whether the Public Prosecutor (PP) would refer the Prime Minister (PM) to the Leadership Tribunal to face allegations of misconduct in office, for his part in facilitating the K3 Billion UBS Loan. The prediction was that the PM’s referral would be no later than Friday of the week that followed my post. This presumption was founded on independent intel, extensive research and informed analysis. Unfortunately that was not so and the PP instead issued a Press Statement on the Thursday of that week announcing he required "certain vital evidence" from Ombudsman Commission (OC) before he decides whether to ask the Chief Justice (CJ) to set up a Leadership Tribunal to investigate the PM. Such action by the PP was not only extraordinary it was unprecedented. This caused me to retrace my sources and re-evaluate what led the PP to make such an uncharacteristic judgement: Firstly for taking s

"DESPERATION AND DESTRUCTION"

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By BOMAI GUNN PNG is already destroyed; the state institutions, the constitutions, political parties and parliamentary democracy, the economy, leaders and individuals to mention a few. Here are some of the destructions that stems from desperation and self-interest: On August 02 2011, Peter O’Neill illegally sieged power over a legal and legitimate government of Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, Regional member for East Sepik. O’NEILL DESPERATELY DESTROYED AND UNDERMINED THE CONSTITUTION OF PNG THAT GOVERNS THE ELECTION OF PM. On 12th December 2011 PNG Supreme Court decision ruled 3-2 that Sir Michael’s ousting was an invalid act as the post was not vacant, and that he should be reinstated. Despite, O’NEIL DESPERATELY DISOBEYED AND UNDERMINED/NULLIFIED THE SUPREME COURT DECISION. In inducing and enticing voters in PNG for the 2012 national election, O’Neil’s illegal government over-committed unbudgeted expenses for free education that resulted in K500 million defi

Noah Anjo, Here Is Why I Won’t Join In Your Anti-Corruption Demonstrations

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By: A Port Moresby Resident Port Moresby activist Noah Anjo has been around for some time now.  He has always preached against corruption.  He first became famous when Michael Somare had Anjo kidnapped while Somare was PM and was slapped around at Somare’s house.   He has continued to protest against corruption ever since. I have been to 2 of the protests he organised and was considering more. I’m very much against corruption and disheartened to see what Peter ONeill is doing who has become far worse than Michael Somare.   Our country is going to the pigs with the amount of money stealing boing on from top to bottom.  I am infuriated at the destruction of PNG by these thieves of which peter ONeill is the most cunning. But I will no longer come to protests of Noah Anjo.   He knows I am not alone in my feeling.  On Thursday I heard that he was complaining at the poor showing to his first legal protest.   That should have been a day when thousands, free from fear of police arre