The Fraud PNGi Couldnt Report! The Case of Self-Dealing in the Lands Department

...Now here is where things get a little more suspect. The land was then granted to Mr Michael Jalbaring, a Department of Lands and Physical Planning employee. The Lands Minister exempted the land from advertisement, according to the court, on the basis of bad-advice from the Lands Department. The gazettal notice states: “I HON. JOHN ROSS, MP Minister for Lands...

Authorities ignore serious fraud allegations at the Livestock Development Corporation

The Marape government has placed agricultural growth at the very heart of its development policies. It has backed its commitments with large allocations of public money. At the same time, the national government has acknowledged the crippling impacts corruption is having on the economy and urged whistleblowers to come forward to expose the rot in the public service. Yet serious...

Scramble for Bougainville’s Resources: A Window Into Mineral Exploration Culture

While the extraction of natural resources such as minerals, oil and gas, frequently generate significant revenue flows, its volume diminishes as each stakeholder takes their cut. There are the financiers, the equity interests, the contractors and subcontractors, the management, the workers, all of whom absorb a sizeable volume of the revenues. Then there are dividends and royalties that go to...

Election managers jailing a salient and timely warning

Former National Capital District Election Manager, Terence Hetinu, has been sentenced to seven-years jail for official corruption. This comes after Hetinu was found guilty of receiving K184,300 and the promise of lucrative post-election security contracts in return for ensuring that aspiring candidate, Michael Kandiu, wins the NCD Governor seat in the 2017 election. Kandiu, who is again a candidate in...

Allegations of Serious Mismanagement at Kumul Agriculture

While there is no shortage of political intrigue over gas, oil and minerals in this country, agriculture remains the lifeblood of the nation. Despite the practical importance of agriculture, it has never received the level of public policy attention and state investment it warrants. A brief glimmer of light emerged with the launch of a special state-owned company dedicated to...

UBS loan was an ‘unnecessary disaster’ for PNG and its people

The Commission of Inquiry into the UBS loan has finished but the Commission’s findings, contained in a fifteen volume report, have been locked away, at least for now. The Prime Minister has pledged the report will be presented to Parliament on 19 April and the findings made public after that. In the meantime, an assessment of the facts and the...

More logging industry abuses exposed, this time in New Ireland

...more than US$65 million from the island, but no rubber has ever been exported. According to officials, the rubber trees that were planted were of the wrong species, and according to local John Aini, the whole project was “chaos”. “No one really cared if the rubber trees would grow; it was the logs they wanted.” Instead of long-term incomes from...

Foul Play Alleged in Census 2021 Contract Award

...name Waeks Aleu has a Facebook page, his friends includes John Igitoi and several other individuals with the family name Igitoi. At the moment, there is not enough evidence available on the public record to substantiate the allegations against John Igitoi. There are some red flags surrounding this tender award to Wakale Stationary, but not enough evidence yet to infer...

Chief Justice slams police over failure to investigate former NHC boss John Dege

...Temu claims she genuinely thought she had legally acquired the lease from John Dege, NHC’s then Managing Director, and Gabriel Gore, the NHC’s then Principle Legal Officer. Temu argues ‘she was asked to pay K30,000 for the State Lease and to have the Transfer Deed done by the former Managing Director of NHC, Mr John Dege’. Unfortunately, the court notes,...

The ANZ Bank Statement at the Centre of PNG’s Largest Misappropriation Case

...Mining project, through its account at ANZ bank. Police Commissioner David Manning, who headed the special investigation, asserts that the Trust Fund was established through a Trust Instrument signed off by John Hickey MP. Under the Trust instrument the funds held with ANZ are to be applied for the specific purpose of delivering authorised projects for communities covered by the...

Yama fails in latest bid to quash criminal charges

...sought an order to ‘restrain the police from inviting, interviewing, arresting or attempting to arrest him pending the determination of the appeal’. The Supreme Court again dismissed Yama’s request. When the case did eventually come before the Madang District Court, the charges against Yama were dismissed for a lack of evidence. Rather ironically then, while the bribe takers, John Tumaing...

Landowner funds flushed down broken corporate pipes

...Governor Havila Kavo, Governor Anderson Agiru, Governor William Powi, Abraham Murepe, Rendle Rimua, John Natto, John Yawari, and Mark Sakai. This raises serious questions over whether individuals appointed to the board of a fund manager for landowners, on the basis of their public position rather than private expertise, ought to be earning any additional remuneration for this public service role....

Minister’s hotcakes rot in a warehouse while his star continues to shine

...supercars than in a stinking hot warehouse right next to the seafront in a tropical city where people struggle to make ends meet. In its growing desperation to offload the cars, the PNG Finance Minister, John Pundari, has recently announced any unsold Maserati’s will be offered to PNG’s overseas missions and the remainder will be retained by the government for...

NHC Targets Grieving Widow in Illegal Sell Off to Foreign Businessperson

Australian Aristocrats and Sir Ted Diro at the Centre of ‘Massive Fraud’ Allegations

In 2016 a parliamentary question was submitted to the Minister for Commerce and Trade Richard Maru. It centred on a 5,000 hectare plantation in Central Province known as Koitaki plantation. The Member for Kairuku-Hiri, Peter Isoaimo, noted ‘the ownership and sale of Koitaki Plantation has somehow landed in the hands of shareholders and directors of a company that is associated...

Is Ihu SEZ a new honey pot for rent seekers and profiteers?

Reportedly, a gleaming new city is about to arise from the swamps, grasslands and forests of Gulf Province. Across 85,000 hectares of land a mirage-like world of sparkling new government buildings, world class public services, a light-rail system, a deep-sea port, new military base with its own airstrip, hotels and an international airport are all to be built. There will...

An Inquiry Into The Gerehu Recreational Land Grab

...the issuing of a State lease in 2015. They also did nothing to challenge the lease, when, in 2015, Konda’lane made an application to the NCD Physical Planning Board, which is chaired by Parkop, for permission to fence the land. Meanwhile, Lands Minister John Rosso, and his Department, seem to have a different take on the matter. They are seeking...

Sand mining plans littered with red flags

Update: On 1st March 2021, it was revealed that Niugini Sands had withdrawn its sand mining exploration licence application. In a letter to campaigners, the Mineral Resource Authority cited the bad publicity the application had received as the reason for the application being withdrawn. Update: This article was updated on 16 Dec. 2020 after further information was received from Derrick...

MRA accused of steamrolling sand mining approval

Coastal communities from the Sumkor district of Madang province are crying foul over plans by overseas company Niugini Sands, to mine sand on their customary land. They say the Mineral Resource Authority is fast-tracking government approval and steamrolling over their rights at the same time. It is a familiar tale, a large-scale natural resource extraction project being imposed on local...

Was Peter Graham right to slam PM Marape over Kumul Minerals Board Shake-Up?

...Mako John Kuwimb, Marjella Meles and Nelly James. Given the abrupt nature with which they were appointed, which appears to have taken place without adequate consultation, does this list raise any red flags? Aho Nollen Baliki lists his residence as Harbourview penthouse apartments in Paga Hill. Apartments in the complex currently rent at K5,500 per week. Until 2019 Aho Baliki...

K53 Million in Health Dept Contracts Go To Gang of Red Flag Firms: Part I

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded the world that there is no dignity unless people, all people, have access to quality healthcare. In PNG this dignity is frequently denied to the public, save for those who can afford private hospitals, or medical tourism abroad. With COVID-19 depleting a depleted health infrastructure, people are angry. Image: One of many angry social media...

Djoko Tjandra Arrested in Malaysia, the Fugitive PNG Politicians Protected

...Kalinoe Hon Ano Pala Manasupe Zurenuoc, OBE Hon James Marape Hon Kerenga Kua, MP Hon Patrick Pruaitch Constable Davis A. Evari Hon John Pundari Acting Chief Sergeant Kasa Wumber Hon Matthew Poia R. Nenta, OBE, QPM (NIO) Mataio Rabura Robert Akunaii Sir Nagora Y. Bogan Hon Gary Juffa Anton Benjamin Rimbink Pato Donald Foo Despite obtaining PNG citizenship, it was...

Key facts behind mysterious plane crash

Update 30/7/20: News reports state the pilot of the crashed Cessna light aircraft is David John Cutmore. Media reports from 1995 state that an individual with the same name was jailed in New Zealand for bird smuggling. He was dubbed the ‘bumbling birdman’ after ‘he was in a rented light plane close to Lord Howe Island on a hair-raising trip...

Fraudulent land titles continue to rot the nation

...the entries in the Register of Lands recording the company as the owner of the plots of land. With this evidence now a matter of public record, along with the Judge’s conclusion describing this as a strong case of fraud, will the police initiate a criminal investigation? Will the Lands Minister, John Rosso, take any internal action against the Registrar...