PNGBLOGS

by BRYAN KRAMER It seems Digicel has not taken heed of my last article in relation to ripping off its customers nor have they taken corrective measures to discontinue violating our consumer rights. In recent weeks I've been busy taking to task the head of Government, a Prime Minister who evades arrest and facing corruption charges over misuse of public funds. I would rather commit all of my time pursuing that cause than expend my time bringing to account a billion kina foreign company on allegations of corrupt and deceptive practices, stealing from our illiterate and impoverished people. I intend to write two in-depth articles about Digicel: The first under the above headline and the second to discuss in detail the legal process of a class action lawsuit. We will look into their earnings, profits and capital expenditure. We will consider the facts that support my opinion that Digicel has been ripping off PNG, its No.1 earner. Both articles will leave Papua New Guineans gri

STATEMENT by Rt Hon Mekere Morauta, KCMG November 4 2015 The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea has once again singled me out for attack for expressing a view on current national issues. My assessment and analysis of the severe economic and financial difficulties facing the nation and the adjustments that need to be taken are entirely my own. My statements were made to promote public discussion and were published at my personal expense. Every citizen has a right to speak about national issues and challenges, and those rights should be respected by the Government.  The Prime Minister’s extraordinary attacks on me as an individual should be seen as part of a broader campaign of intimidation and attempts to shut down dissent, by force if necessary. Dissent is a sign of a healthy society. It is a sign of a robust democracy. The right to freedom of speech and the freedom to gather together publicly to express our views are precious public commodities. The Prime Minister claims t

by BRYAN KRAMER This Part 2 of a two part series providing an insight into the looming vote of no confidence (VNC) against Peter O'Neill planned by the Opposition during the current session of Parliament. Part 1 covered the constitutional and procedural process that must be followed before Parliament may consider a VNC. To recap, the Constitution (section 145) stipulates that a motion of VNC may be proposed by any member of Parliament; however it must name the next Prime Minister, be signed by no less than 12 MPs, and give no less than one week’s notice in accordance with the standing orders of Parliament. Standing Orders stipulate the notice of VNC must be delivered to the Speaker of Parliament and tabled before Private Business Committee on a Wednesday to determine the motion is of national importance. It must then be delivered to Clerk of Parliament to be listed on the Notice Paper on a Thursday sitting (Private Business Day). This article will discuss ho

by NEMO YALO*  The National (19.10.15) in its editorial labelled the Opposition’s move to bring a motion of no confidence against the Government as “premature”. Referring to the speculated motion of no confidence it opened with the line: “Has Papua New Guinea gone to the dogs?” This is a seriously preposterous and bias characterization of a healthy process of democracy. Whether a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister is tabled or not and what the outcome will be if it is voted is a matter for Parliament. What must not go unchallenged is The National’s lopsided and politically biased editorial. The editorial attempted to demonstrate balance by quoting what the Opposition and its members said in a recent press conference and then quoted the Prime Minister’s response to the Supreme Court ruling on 4 September 2015 which nullified the so-called “grace period” Constitutional amendment. The invalidated constitutional amendment granted a government 30 months i

FRANCIS AWESA SUING O’NEILL AND MALADINA OVER FRAUDULENT TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF COMPANY by MICHAEL J. PASSINGAN As things get heated up in Waigani for the looming Vote of No Confidence, one of Prime Minister O’Neill’s close confidante and Minister for Works, Hon Francis Awesa is having a bitter split with his Prime Minister and close associate Jimmy Maladina,  The tales of fraud involving O’Neill and Jimmy as main characters never ceases to end. In this new drama, Works Minister Francis Awesa is taking the duo to court for illegally and fraudulently transferring his interests in one of the biggest construction companies in PNG –Global Construction Ltd. Global Construction was started in 1994 and the registered shareholder then was Kandy No. 7 Limited owned by Derek Michael Jepson, who is casually referred to as Mick Jepson.  On 1st August 1996, Mr Awesa, through his family company called Allestree No. 10 Ltd purchased about 24,999 shares from Kandy No. 7 to be a part own

by  BRYAN KRAMER   Director of National Fraud & Anti-corruption Directorate Mathew Damaru was formally charged by Police under Section 197 of Criminal Code for allegedly making a false declaration and statement. The provision is in the following terms; "(1) A person who, on any occasion on which he is permitted or required by law to make a statement or declaration before a person authorized by law to permit it to be made before him, makes a statement or declaration before that person that is to his knowledge false in a material particular is guilty of a misdemeanour." "Penalty: Imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years." "(2) A person cannot be convicted of an offence against Subsection (1) on the uncorroborated testimony of one witness." The charges relate to Contempt of Court proceedings filed against the Commissioner of Police Gary Baki by Damaru and his Deputy Director Timothy Gitua. Both Damaru and Gitua filed the pro

PETER O’NEILL: ‘PNG’S CHAMPION OF PROGRESS’ FOR THE CORRUPT IN PNG As decreed in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea:- “By authority of our inherent right as ancient, free and independent peoples WE, THE PEOPLE, do now establish this sovereign nation and declare ourselves, under the guiding hand of God, to be the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. AND WE ASSERT, by virtue of that authority · that all power belongs to the people—acting through their duly elected representatives · that respect for the dignity of the individual and community interdependence are basic      principles of our society · that we guard with our lives our national identity, integrity and self respect · that we reject violence and seek consensus as a means of solving our common problems · that our national wealth, won by honest, hard work be equitably shared by all” All power is with us the people who must guard with our lives PNG’s nation

 by YAKAN LEPAKAILI   GOD OF ALL CREATION RULES AND DAY OF JUSTICE AGAINST EVIL, WICKEDNESS AND CORRUPTION IS EMINENT. Judge stays the lawyers’ travel ban and reinstatement of sacked top fraud squad cops is a victory for the people of Papua New Guinea. Crafty politicians and bureaucrats devise schemes giving the ruthless and totalitarian regime the competitive advantage over rival political opponents. When interrogated by the media, put on the brave face and front media with purported explanation stating letter does not link to PM or to say, sacking not politically motivated. Events evolved raises lot of eye brows revolving around Prime Minister’s authorisation of K71.8 million payments of controversial legal bills to Paul Paraka Lawyers executed by Lieutenant James Marape. Apparently, actions of Manasupe Zurenouc, Gari Baki and Mataio Rabura have correlational causation and aren’t isolated events. Arrogant Zurenouc, Baki and Rabura aren’t speaking with clear conscience for th

Supreme Court today dismissed the appeal by Minister of Finance James Marape challenging an earlier decision allowing Director of National Fraud & Anti-Corruption join the Supreme Court proceedings that issued a interim injunction against Marape and Prime Minister's arrest. Marape's appeal to remove Damaru and Gitua was supported by the Prime Minister, Commissioner of Police and Attorney General and Paraka Lawyers. Damaru and Gitua were granted leave (permission) in March 2015 by Supreme Court Judge Terrence Higgins. Supreme Court proceedings were initiated by Marape challenging an earlier decision by the National Court in July 2014 refusing Prime Minister and Marape's application seeking an interim stay order from the Court preventing Police from arresting them in relation to fraudulent payments to Paraka Lawyers. After filing the SC proceedings Marape and Prime Minister then moved a further application asking SC to stay their arrest until the SC determines their app

TWO SENIOR DETECTIVES INVOLVED IN PM’S ARREST WARRANT TERMINATED: Two veterans of the Police Force have been unceremoniously terminated in circumstances not isolated to the current cases pending in court relating to the Arrest Warrant against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill. Chief Inspector Timothy Gitua and Assistant Commissioner of Police Thomas Eluh who are two of the officers at the forefront of the investigations against PM O’Neill had been terminated. These are two officers who have been serving the Royal Constabulary with distinction for many years. “We believe that the two officers had been vindictively penalised by the Commissioner of Police and his deputy.” We have reason to believe that this decision, though not surprising, is not an isolated act but one that, in the whole scheme of things, is tailored and coordinated to frustrate and defeat the pending court cases against the PM. Although we do not question the Commissioner’s powers to take disciplinary ac

by GREG POYA   Peter O'Niell should be worried about Australia's new Prime Minister, Mr Malcolm Turnbull. Papua New Guinea's prime minister has signalled a partial back-down from recent comments that Australian consultants and advisers would be expelled from PNG by the end of the year. Peter O'Neill announced in July that his government would remove all foreign advisors and consultants from government departments because their presence was m aking locals lazy. There were also suggestions that the foreign, mainly Australian, advisers, were spying on his government. Mr O'Neill now says he prefers a change to contract officers who can be accountable to his government. He told AAP that his government is not that silly to displace families overnight, and that nobody is being thrown out on the street. Mr O'Neill says he wants to ensure people assigned to PNG show loyalty to the government and to service. Australia has 34 public servants on

by MICHAEL PASSINGAN   More than K3 billion a year is likely being stolen and wasted by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, his politicians, and their public service and private sector cronies. Over the five-year life of the O’Neill regime, they have likely stolen or wasted more than K15 billion. These estimates are based on figures made public by the Prime Minister himself, Works Minister Francis Awesa and the head of Task Force Sweep, Sam Koim. They demonstrate the enormous cost to the nation and the people of Papua New Guinea of O’Neill’s corruption and incompetence. They show that the rate of theft and other forms of corruption and waste under Peter O’Neill continues to increase. If O’Neill and his cronies had not stolen or misused K15 billion, Papua New Guinea would not be suffering from the current economic crisis. If the O’Neill regime had acted honestly, responsibly and competently, the decline in national development and service delivery could have been reversed. Instead, there h