PNGBLOGS

PNG SELLING CITIZENSHIP IS NOTHING NEW, ASK JOE CHAN   by JAMES PERAKIN Isn't it ironic that since Somare's last reign, long serving missionaries in PNG have found it so hard to get visas to stay in PNG permanently while any foreign con artist biz man waving money gets any visa they want or even a PNG passport. Which category is JT in? PNG'S LAW ON CITIZENSHIP Section 67.-CITIZENSHIP BY NATURALIZATION. (1) A person who has resided continuously in the country for at least eight years may ap ply to the Minister responsible for citizenship matters to be naturalized as a citizen, and the Minister may, if he is satisfied as to the matters referred to in Subsection (2), in his deliberate judgement (but subject to Division 4 (Citizenship Advisory Committee)), grant or refuse the application. Division 4. – Citizenship Advisory Committee. 75. THE COMMITTEE. (1) An Act of the Parliament shall make provision for a Citizenship Advisory Committee, all of t

EXCLUSIVE - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD 'The days of banging a million bucks into an account are gone' Lawyer Greg Sheppard is seen in this secret recording explaining how to avoid detection when making illegal payments to foreign politicians. Australia has been exposed as a safe haven for corrupt funds from overseas after a pair of top lawyers were caught on video explaining how regional leaders steal money from their own people and park it in bank accounts here. Fairfax Media has obtained recordings of an undercover sting that show one Papua New Guinea lawyer, Harvey Maladina, explaining how a "prestigious" law firm and a well-known Queen's counsel issue inflated invoices to conceal the movements of corrupt money. Papua New Guinea lawyer Harvey Maladina and his law firm partner, former Queensland crown prosecutor Greg Sheppard, is shown on camera saying that the "only way" to bribe foreign politicians and avoid getting caught is to pay "s

by LUCAS KIAP MPs are supposed to be lawmakers and not cheque book carriers promising to deliver basic government services. Implementing government policies and delivering basic services is the function and the responsibility of the public service mechanism in the country and not MPs. How did this happened? Basic services is not rocket science. A drug addict or a street seller can be voted into parliament to deliver basic services becuse money (budget) for basic services should be there regardless of whoever is voted into parliament. People have the right to basic government services by law under the constitution. That's the reason why there is an elected government in a democracy, serving the people and not themselves. No MP or government should promise people to deliver basic services or take credit for providing basic services when people already own everything including the MPs and the government. MPs are supposed to be legislators, lawmakers and not basic service delivers o

by BRYAN KRAMER On Wednesday 17th June 2015 the Chief Justice Salamo Injia convicted the former Commissioner of Police Geoffrey Vaki on two charges of contempt of court for failing to execute the Warrant of Arrest issued by District Court against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. The decision comes almost one year after Director of National Fraud & Anti-Corruption Directorate Mathew Damuru and his Deputy Timothy Gitua filed contempt proceedings against Vaki back in June 2014. Before discussing the judgement and its significance in detail lets first visit some of the background facts to help put most of the issues raised in this case in context. Damuru and Gitua were attached to Task Force Sweep Team who per the directive of Prime Minister on 13th May 2013 were investigating alleged fraudulent payments for legal bills of K71.8 million by the Finance Department to Paul Paraka Lawyers. Prime Minister O'Neill issued the directive instructing amongst other things that "

by LUCAS KELLY KOM My dear fellow Papua New Guineans, the so called Dr Susan Merrell has in effect said that the Judiciary of the Sovereign State of Papua New Guinea in not infallible, That amounts to sedition and she must be arrested and charged immediately when she is in the country. The Judiciary in PNG today is the last bastion of democracy and can never be questioned by aliens. The JUDGES RULING IS FINAL therefore the discipline forces will act accordingly to administer justice in so far as the Independent Sovereign State of Papua New Guinea is concerned. PNG has adopted English Common Law from its colonial past. Laws are made to be amended as and when the evolution of the society in question sees fit under its sovereignty therefore Susan Merrell can’t tell Papua New Guineans that their ruling judge has erred. The Sovereign State of Papua New Guinea is not strictly obligated to follow the provisions of English Common Law,  We have parliamentarians and legislators to amend

by SAM KOIM, DevPolicy Blog The allegations reported in the Australian media of an Australian mining company bribing high ranking Nauru politicians is a real test for Australia. The stakes are high. Nauru hosts one of the asylum detention centres under Australia’s “Pacific Solution” policy. Nauru, together with Manus in Papua New Guinea, has relieved Australia of the influx of boat people to Australia and the Australian Government needs the ongoing political support of the host nations to continue the operation of the detention centres. Thanks must go to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) who, without fear or favour, investigated this case, which could potentially harm Australia’s relationship with Nauru. From the media reports, it seems that the AFP is at an advanced stage of the investigation and arrests might be made soon. Australia is a member of the OECD Working Group on Bribery and a party to the key international conventions concerned with combating foreig

AUSTRALIAN THINK TANK WARNING CONFIRMS OPPOSITION’S PREDICTION, FEARS AND WARNING ON PNG’S ECONOMY The PNG Government’s revenue is going to be billions of kina lower, given the drop in global energy and oil prices. This is from a think tank, a research fellow with the Australian Policy Centre at the Australian National University. Mathew Dornan says this would create major budgetary crisis for the PNG government. This means certain key priority areas in the 2015 budget will be cut meaning no funds will be going to those areas. Mr Dornan said a “certain decision” by the PNG government had inflamed the crisis. Mr Dornan did not specify “certain commercial decision” but it’s obvious a number of commercial decisions by the O’Neill government happening despite expert warnings and caution from credible institutions. Among them is the controversial UBS K3 Billion Loan deal which pushed the country’s debt level high to an unsustainable level. The prediction by the think tank proves what the

by NELSON TENDEN Theo Zurenuoc and our Prime Minister never seemed to love each other until recently. From this side, Peter O'Neill was never strongly religious. In fact, he was incensed when Zurenuoc did his "evil carvings" desecration of Haus Parliament as the news reported at the time. From Theo's side, our Wild-Eyed Zealot didn't like O'Neill's personal disinterest in Christianity and was even less happy when he finally figured out that O'Neill often manipulates Christians to get their support (PO's 'ban the pokies' affair being the most famous). Yet, now, Zurenuoc and O'Neill seem madly in love. How did that happen? My friends, it all boils down to patting each other on the bum while helping each other out. That's politics in a nutshell. It was clear what Zurenuoc is getting out of the deal. Somehow it appears that O'Neill has found a way to bankroll Zurenuoc and his crazy extremist Christian allies as they march up th

Can PNG build on from this unprecedented development in rugby league with PNG Hunters or even explore the QLD's Intrust Cup prospects? by BRIAN FOLOCK   Queensland's Intrust Super Cup turns out a BIG HIT in PNG after two of its teams, PNG's own Hunters and Souths Magpies took to the capital - Port Moresby for the first time after the introduction of the PNG team to the 2nd Tier Queensland Rugby League in Australia. The match was a trial match to test the newly renovated Sir John Guise Stadium (renamed BSP Stadium) which will host most of the sporting activities of 2015 Pacific Games including the Opening Ceremony. Intrust Super Cup (ISC) is a second-tier rugby league of Queensland, Australia. Papua New Guinea has a team, the PNG Hunters competing in the league and has been hosting home games in Kokopo, East New Britain since its inception. Kokopo was selected as the Hunters' home ground when the country's old and dilapidated major sporting infrastructures inc