Robert@PNG

Go hand in hand!!

Here’s a story that appeared on the front page of yesterday’s Post Courier:

(see space below the story for my viewpoint)

$US40m in MP’s account

ABOUT $US40 million, money from log exports is sitting in a Singapore bank account for a Government Minister and is being looked after by a “consortium” in that country.

This $US40 million (K145 million) is from the 2.1 per cent takings of every log exported overseas, a deal struck by this MP in the last Government and has been accumulating since. The money has been going to this private account in exchange for logging deals in Papua New Guinea from several loggers in the country (named).

Papers sighted by the Post-Courier yesterday showed the money kept in two Singapore banks (named) have been accumulating since 2002. From records, the MP had “touched” this account twice since the opening balance of that account in 2002 and since then it has been accumulating.

Two top Government advisers hesitantly told the Post-Courier when approached that this money, which had been deposited every time several logging companies exported logs out of PNG into this private account and has not been used because “the money is too large it will raise concerns if brought into the country in a large amount”.

THE papers also state that the money belongs to a single MP but has some percentages shared among three others, also PNG Government MPs and which has the backing of a foreign multi-millionaire businessman from Asia. The two Singapore banks — a commercial bank and a foreign bank (named) — were contacted yesterday for more information and to confirm that Papua New Guineans had accounts in their banks together with cohorts from Singapore as a consortium.

The banks refused to comment and they neither confirmed nor denied such things existed.

But the Waigani advisers said there was a need to investigate this account and an explanation was needed from whoever was involved because rightfully, this money belonged to the people of Papua New Guinea.

My view’s on the matter:

1. Stories of Corruption in this country hit the media at a rate of knots.
2. The corrupt ones have obviously worked out that if a constant stream of new stories hit the media that the old stories will eventually be forgotten (in and out of court).
3. In PNG and in relation to Forestry one should not surprised at the number of politicians and bureaucrats that actually own land which is being logged.
4. A twisted sort of a question… do you think that the Minister for Forestry (past or present) should be allowed to do a bit of logging on the side?
5. There was a time when the chiefs could be trusted, but that time - I’m afraid - has long gone.
6. Another question… when corruption is as overt as what it is in PNG - does it then become a commodity?
7. The other newspaper: The National - never reported this story. Why? Interesting question!!
8. Perhaps these fellas have never heard of natural justice… wait until they do!!
9. If I was any more Papua New Guinean then what I already am - this story would make me cry.
10. And don’t forget… the meek shall inherit the earth but only if it’s OK with the chaps!!