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New Ireland logging tycoon linked to corruption, money laundering and abduction
A Malaysian businessman who has been at the centre of the logging industry in New Ireland for the past fifteen years is facing serious allegations of corruption, money laundering and abduction in his home country. Thomas Hah Tiing Siu (left), Sultan Ahmad Shah and Pamela Ling in 2013. Photo: Borneo Post Since 2011, companies linked to Thomas Hah Tiing Siu...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
The Kumil logging project: A history of illegality, conflict and abuse
The Kumil logging project in Madang Province is a classic example of the conflict, mismanagement and illegality that clouds the national forestry sector. The rights to harvest logs from the forests of Bogia district of Madang were first acquired by the State from landowners in 1984 under a colonial era Timber Rights Purchase agreement. The first recorded logging though did...
THE COURT REPORT
Anti-corruption crusader guilty of misconduct in office
Prominent MP, government Minister and self-styled anti-corruption crusader, Bryan Kramer has been found guilty on eight counts of misconduct in office by a Leadership Tribunal. The Tribunal was originally appointed in September 2022 to investigate 13 allegations of misconduct referred by the Public Prosector following an investigation by the Ombudsman Commission. During the Tribunal Hearings, one allegation was withdrawn on...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
The Fraud PNGi Couldnt Report! The Case of Self-Dealing in the Lands Department
The Lands Department has a state-of-the art fraud reporting system. That is unarguably a good thing, given the significant number of land related frauds nationally. Here is what the Lands Department website user is greeted with, when they enter the fraud reporting system. A comforting message. Here is what happens when PNGi tested it out, with a real example we...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
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...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
ICAC Commissioners Named
In December 2022, Prime Minister James Marape made the long-awaited announcement that the first Commissioners for Papua New Guinea’s nascent Independent Commission Against Corruption had been appointed, but he refused to name the successful candidates. Now, some seven weeks later, there has still been no public announcement or media reporting of the names of the first Commissioner or the two...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
Worker Safety Concerns at New Britain Palm Oil
The Office of Workers Compensation (OWS) keeps statistical data on workplace injury and deaths, which companies by law must report to the office. For a period in 2020, they published the data online in a searchable database – it was then removed. We do not know the reason why. But it has had the effect, however, of shielding bad performers...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
Education Minister signs dubious carbon deal in Dubai
While the world’s attention has recently been focused on events at COP27 in Egypt, Papua New Guinea’s Education Minister, Don Polye, has been striking his own carbon deal in the United Arab Emirates. According to media reports, Hon. Don Polye has entrusted the development of PNG’s carbon framework to the Dubai based company Blue Carbon. Polye has described Blue Carbon...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
Clash of Statements at Commission of Inquiry into Motukea Wharf
The Commission of Inquiry into Motukea Wharf centres on the lawfulness and integrity of the sale and purchase of land at Motukea Wharf. Motukea Wharf was purchased from Australian owned company Curtain Bros by the State of PNG for K1.1 billion, in order to relocate the port of Port Moresby. Of this total amount K725 million was payment for Curtain...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
Leaked audit report claims systemic corruption, but its the alleged whistleblower facing the sack
‘’Whistleblower protection is an important action, and it is essential not only for detecting fraud, corruption and misconduct but also for safeguarding the public interest, for promoting a culture of accountability and integrity in both public and private institutions’’ – Davide Messina, European Union Delegation to Papua New Guinea, 3rd October, 2022 Detailed internal audit reports allege an on-going culture...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
Paga Hill Water Frontage for K8,400 PA – Poh Dynasty Strike Another Bargain
Since the 1990s, the southern face of Port Moresby’s iconic Paga Hill has been a prime target for property developers. Once a green soaked national park, the land has been eviscerated beyond recognition by preliminary construction work. Image: Paga Hill as it sits in 2022 (Source: Maxar Technologies) The state lease over the waterfront land, since 2000, has been held...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
Logging tycoon hosts govt money laundering taskforce
The irony of it, twenty-one of Papua New Guinea’s top bureaucrats holed up for two days in a hotel owned by one of the country’s biggest logging tycoons while they discuss the implementation of the Nations anti-money laundering action-plan. The Bank of Papua New Guinea believes the PNG logging sector posses a major money laundering risk due to large-scale corruption...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
New Vice-Minister for State Negotiations Comes with a Foreboding Past
The newly elected first-time MP, Jimmy Maladina, a man once described by Justice Sakora as the ‘manipulative member’ of a ‘conspiratorial criminal cabal’, has been quickly elevated up the parliamentary ranks by the Prime Minister. Prime Minister Marape recently announced Maladina has been appointed Vice Minister for State Negotiations. It is a role to which Jimmy Maladina could be well...
THE COURT REPORT
Western Highlands Govt Offloads Plantation at 95% Discount in ‘Suspicious’ Sale
Up until 2013 the Western Highlands Provincial Government was the 80% owner of a 1,050 hectare coffee plantation (Rui plantation), with timber assets valued at K8 million alone. The provincial government’s interest was held through the company Canopus No 101 Ltd, which owns Rui plantation. In a commercial deal described as ‘unlawful’ by the National Court, the Provincial Government sold...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
EU-PNG Good Governance Program Coordinated by Blacklisted Consultant
Back in December 2020 the EU and PNG inked €26.9 million (K95 million) in program assistance as part of the EU-PNG Partnership for Good Governance. According to subsequent news reports a significant part of the program’s aim is to tackle corruption. So far, so good. In order to implement the program a technical assistance contract has been awarded to a...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
Fraud, corruption and mismanagement – a window into the failings of the DSIP system
A recently published report by the Office of the Auditor General gives a unique but distinctly worrying glimpse into the world of the District Development Authorities and their mismanagement and misuse of government funds. District Development Authorities are the local government bodies tasked with delivering improved local services and infrastructure in each of the eighty-nine open electorate seats across Papua...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
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...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
Publicly funded Hilton Hotel at the centre of a financial black hole
It is impossible to deny the splendour of the modern Star Mountain Plaza in Port Moresby. Its centrepiece is the five-star Hilton Hotel, housed in a 16 storey tower with over 200 guest rooms, a fine dinning restaurant, cafes, bars, gym and pool. Below the hotel sits the international convention centre. The majestic sweeping arches of its laminated timber frame,...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
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...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
Logging company to pay damages of K353,350
Malaysian owned logging company, Sentawan (PNG) Ltd, has been ordered by the National Court to pay K353,350 in unpaid rent plus interest and legal costs to a New Ireland businesswoman. Sentawan (PNG) Ltd is owned by four Malaysian nationals. Ngie Yung Lau owns 40% of the shares, Ngie Hung Lau 25%, Chu Kwong Ling another 25% and Ambrose Tiong Hong...
THE COURT REPORT
Chinese Network Implicated in RPNGC Bribery Scheme
At his Morata home on the 20th of May 2018, Senior Sergeant Apollos Terry claims that local businessman Onne Bani and his accomplices offered a K100,000 payment wrapped in newspaper in return for dropping charges against Bani’s business partner, Chinese national Aaron Cui (aka Zhiyuan Cui). Senior Sergeant Terry reported the matter to the Police Commissioner’s office. After a successful...
THE TOKAUT BLOG
New PACIFICi Investigative Portal
With the Pacific Island region increasingly impacted by organised transnational crime, international drug and people smuggling, money laundering and corruption, a new web-based investigative tool, PACIFICi, is set to become an important resource for activists, journalists, anti-corruption/AML specialists and law enforcement. The PACIFICi Portal gives unique access to company ownership data and governance reporting across four Pacific Island nations; Samoa,...
PNGi INVESTIGATES
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...
THE COURT REPORT
Paraka ordered to pay K6.6 million to workers superfund
Controversial lawyer and aspiring politician, Paul Paraka, has been ordered by the National court to pay over K6.6 million in unpaid rent and interest to Nambawan Superfund Limited. Nambawan Super is PNG’s largest superannuation fund provider and is the owner of the Mogoru Moto building in downtown Port Moresby, where Paraka’s law firm was based from 2013. In June 2020,...