A mobile phone text messaging program  has been launched at the Papua New Guinea's Finance Department to expose the malpractices, mismanagement and corruption.

For the next 5 years, staffs from the department are simply to text the number, 16321, and report any suspicious acts of corruption.

Acting Finance Secretary Doctor Ken Ngangan said this program has come into play to stop the growing practice of corruption with public money.

This initiative is a joint partnership between United Nations Development Program, the Australian and PNG government to fight the abuse of public money at the Finance department.

Acting Finance Secretary, Doctor Ken Ngangan, said this program will not put an end to corruption in the department, however, said it will definitely minimize it.

The Provincial Capacity Building Enhancement Program, promotes good governance, accountability, transparency, and reinforces internal financial controls.

The text messages will be sent to 1632 at no cost. Incidents of corruption will be text to this number.

The senior management also questioned the hundred percent anonymity program.

The five year program aims to furnish up the finance department’s internal controls, auditing process, accountability, good governance and most importantly staff confidentiality.

Staffs present commended the program, saying it will definitely assist them to blow the whistle on corruption, without being directly affected. 

PNG Today/EMTV

By Bryan Kramer

Former Police Commissioner Sir Thomas Kulunga has filed an application for leave for Judicial Review against the decision of the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and the National Executive Council (NEC) that terminated/retired him from office.

Kulunga's lawyer filed an urgent application in the National Court last week, but was only listed this morning (24/7/14) after short service on the State. Kulunga is seeking to be reinstated as Commissioner of Police. The central grounds of his case is that his termination/forced retirement by NEC was without proper cause nor was he given the right to be heard.

Judge Gava-Nanu adjourned the matter to 7th August 2014 after the State failed to appear in Court.

This recent development may chuck a spanner in the works in the PM's efforts preventing police from arresting him. If leave is granted and stay on Vaki's appointment then Kulunga may re-assume office and consolidate the force.

It was Kulunga who wrote to the PM on 16th June 2014 requesting he make himself available for a formal record of interview.

In the letter, Kulunga said: “With the greatest respect to yourself and your esteemed office, I refer to the above and request your attendance at the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate at Konedobu, National Capital District for a formal record of interview at 11.am or 1pm on 16th June. The interview relates to the allegations of fraudulent payments made to Paul Paraka Lawyers between February, 2014 and May 2013. The investigations were carried out at your request through Prime Ministerial Directive issued under your hand dated May 13th, 2013. Pursuant to the requirements of law, a warrant of arrest has been issued today, ordering police to arrest you. A copy of warrant of arrest dated June 12, 2014 is enclosed here in for your reference. You would note that a warrant is a court order demanding police to affect your arrest. It would help if you could make your way to the nominated time and place for a forma record of interview and answer questions that would be put to you formally.”

On the same date Kulunga wrote to the Police Minister Robert Atiyafa that he was taking special leave effective 18th June 2014 until Monday 4th August 2014 and Deputy Commissioner of Police Simon Kauba will perform duties as acting police commissioner.

But on 17th June 2014 the PM announces that “Cabinet has taken the decision to retire Commissioner Kulunga now under the circumstances" and appointed Geoffrey Vaki as Acting Police Commissioner.

In retrospect it was Vaki who initially challenged his termination in the Courts by way of Judicial Review in 2006 when he was then the Deputy Commissioner of Police. In the end the Court upheld his case on the grounds Vaki was terminated by NEC without a valid excuse prematurely made, unreasonable and not a good reason. The decision was also contrary to his Contract and ultra vires the Police Act 1998. Kulunga failed to execute the Courts orders to reinstate Vaki. Vaki then prosecuted contempt charges against Kulunga resulting in his conviction and 7 months sentence for hard labour. Kulunga filed an appeal and obtained a stay on his sentencing. He is currently out on bail while his appeal is being heard in the Supreme Court. Ironically Vaki is now also facing two contempt charges that’s currently before the Courts.

If Kulunga is reinstated he will have the command of the Force and although the National Court stayed the arrest warrants against the PM in relation to the Paraka-gate issue this does not immune a person from being charged on other allegations

COACH Michael Marum will be expecting his side to put in a more polished effort when they host the Burleigh Bears in their Round 21 Intrust Super Cup match this Saturday.

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Did a Russian fire the missile that downed Malaysia Airlines Flight 17? That depends on who you ask.

A top Ukrainian official says he has no doubt.

Vitaly Nayda, Ukraine's director of informational security, told CNN the person who shot down the flight was "absolutely" a Russian. "A Russian-trained, well-equipped, well-educated officer ... pushed that button deliberately," he said.

"We taped conversations" between a Russian officer and his office in Moscow, Nayda said. "We know for sure that several minutes before the missile was launched, there was a report" to a Russian officer that the plane was coming, he said.

"They knew the plane was coming with constant speed, in constant direction," and should have known it was not a fighter jet but "a big civilian plane," he said.

Does debris prove MH17 was shot down? Who leads the pro-Russian rebels?

U.S. officials say pro-Russian rebels were responsible for shooting down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, but they now believe it's likely the rebels didn't know the plane was a commercial airliner when they opened fire, U.S. intelligence officials said Tuesday.

 Photos: Reaction to MH17 Photos: Reaction to MH17

 MH17 bodies arrive in Kharkiv MH17 black boxes handed over to Malaysia

The officials have determined that Russia bears some responsibility for the incident because of its support for the rebels, but they haven't been able to determine exactly who fired the missile, whether Russian military were at the site or whether the Russians were directly responsible for launching the missile.

Moscow has denied claims that it pulled the trigger. And Russian Army Lt. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov suggested a Ukrainian jet fighter may have shot the plane down.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko rejected that in an exclusive interview with CNN, saying that all Ukrainian aircraft were on the ground at the time.

Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, was asked Monday about different intercepted recordings, purportedly of pro-Russian rebels talking about shooting down a plane. Churkin suggested that if they did, it was an accident.

"According to them, the people from the east were saying that they shot down a military jet," he said. "If they think they shot down a military jet, it was confusion. If it was confusion, it was not an act of terrorism."

Pro-Russian rebels have repeatedly denied responsibility for the attack.

Fiji's interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has opened himself up to some rare and lengthy questioning by the local media.

Prime Minister Bainimarama was interviewed by several journalists on the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation's For The Record program.

In a wide-ranging discussion he revealed he only promised to hold elections in 2009 because of pressure from the Prime Ministers of Tonga and Papua New Guinea. He later reneged on the promise.

The PM says Fiji is now ready for elections in September, the fist poll since he took power in a military coup in 2006.

Here's a sample of what he had to say, beginning with his belief that the Constitution his government put in place last year will prevent coups from happening in the future.

Speaker: Frank Bainimarama, Fiji Interim Prime Minister

BAINIMARAMA: I can bet you my bottom dollar, that the 2013 Constitution will protect everyone. They'll be no repetition of 2000 and 2006, especially 2006, and that was what we've been talking about throughout the military at least eh, that 2006 was to end all coups.

REPORTER : So even if you will lose the election, there will no coup or anything like that? In the unlikely event, that you lose the election, what do you think would happen after?

BAINIMARAMA: The unlikely event, that I will lose the election, a new political party will led our nation.

REPORTER: How soon is Fiji First going to launch its manifesto?

BAINIMARAMA: Oh, in a couple of weeks. Don't worry about that.

REPORTER: Since 2006, you have governed without any Opposition. Now you are going to go into an election. Are you prepared to have an Opposition questioning you, asking questions, opposing you, in Parliament and outside of Parliament?

BAINIMARAMA: That's what a democratic parliament is all about.

REPORTER: Democracy, a democratic parliament all well and good, but you haven't had the experience of having an Opposition sitting across from you and trying to shoot down any policy or strategies you come up with. How do you think you'll manage with that, after bearing in mind, after so many years of your government without a parliament, without Opposition, this is something new for you even?

BAINIMARAMA: Ah, no, I don't think it's new. I've been having the same Opposition from 2000.

REPORTER: Yeah, but they did not have the power to change anything?

BAINIMARAMA: The Opposition is still there and that's what I'm going to face in parliament, there's no difference.

REPORTER: So you're saying they won't be able to stop your government if you get into parliament?

BAINIMARAMA: Stop my government in what?

REPORTER: In anything you want to do. All this Opposition over the years, there has been Opposition, but you and your administration have carried forward with the work the project and the development that you've seen important. Are you here in now parliament, there maybe a situation where they can vote against your decision?

BAINIMARAMA: Yes, that should be accommodated because it's part of the parliamentary process.

REPORTER; Are you saying there will be no difference, it will be business as usual, like you're carrying now, even with an Opposition there?

BAINIMARAMA: Well, we hope that we're going to continue with, if we win, well will win and we hope we will continue with the policies that we have, to do with infrastructure, to do with development in our economy. If Opposition is going to go against that well they will have to face the public of Fiji.

REPORTER: Yeah. One of the strengths that you have is to be able to make proper decision on matters of national importance, development and that's one of the things that people are talking about, the efficient quick delivery of your policies.

After the election, it will go through the process of parliament, which means there will be a lot of questions asked, you'll go through that bureaucracy. Yes, you think that will be a problem?

BAINIMARAMA: Well, as I said, that should not be a problem, because it's part of the parliamentary process, eh, it's democracy that we've been craving for, but that's also one of the reasons that a lot of people, a lot of people in Fiji don't want this election, yeah. They want a strong, decisive leader.

REPORTER: Back in the day, in the initial stage of the clean up campaign, you had said that neither you, nor anyone in your government would stand for election, why the change?

BAINIMARAMA: Things have gone under us, things have moved on. When we talked then, we was talking about having, forming a government there and then and having the election there and then. But at the back of our mind, we have to put in a good Constitution, that has changed the ball game altogether for everyone in Fiji. So you're not going to let me go, just because of that statement in 2006.

REPORTER: That's why I asked? I mean what changed your mind, what was the deciding factor for you, because at that point in time, you were very adamant about it?

BAINIMARAMA: This, putting this together, a lot of people, as I said, a lot of people don't know the years between 2000 and 2006 and ongoing from there to now. A lot of people don't know that when I said we were going to have elections in 2009, I said we will have election in 2009, if we're ready by then. That was a pressure put on me by the Tongan Prime Minister and the Papua New Guinea Prime Minister then in Tonga.

REPORTER: Did they give you the deadline?

BAINIMARAMA: No, they asked me to make a comment and say that we will have election in 2009 and I told them, I can't make that promise, because we are not ready for 2009 election and they said, just make it.

REPORTER: Just to get the pressure of your back?

BAINIMARAMA: Yeah, just to get the pressure, so I made that statement, but I said, if you look at that statement it said if and when we're ready, we'll have the election in 2009. And ready means this.

Picture: Fiji Embassy

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Belgium, HE Jean-Luc Bodson, paid a courtesy call to the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Hon Peter O’Neill CMG MP.

Prime Minister O’Neill welcomed Ambassador Bodson and congratulated him on his appointment.

During their discussion the Prime Minister conveyed the condolences of the Papua New Guinea for the four citizens of the Netherlands who lost their lives in the tragedy of MH17.

Prime Minister O’Neill said people around the world stand united in their grief and disbelief at what happened to the flight.

The Prime Minister said the United Nations Security Council resolution today offers hope that the remains of victims will be respectfully removed from the crash site, and a thorough crime scene investigation can take place.

In terms of the bilateral relationship between eth two countries, Mr O’Neill further expressed Papua New Guinea’s gratitude for ongoing support to strengthen the national economy and facilitate development.

Bilateral trade and exchange between Papua New Guinea and Europe continues to be positive, and the Prime Minister said there remained further ongoing opportunities to expand this further.

Current bilateral trade is worth almost K100 million annually.

The Papua New Guinean Defense Force is hosting a team of U.S. Air Force experts at Murray Barracks from July 21 to July 25 for a Pacific Defender Outreach Program.  This security exchange is designed to strengthen the capabilities of PNG’s military and civil police.

This is the first time Papua New Guinea is hosting this U.S. Air Force team.     This exchange is part of U.S. support for Papua New Guinea’s hosting of major events such as the 2015 Pacific Games and the 2018 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.  The Pacific Defender Outreach program will include tabletop exercises and scenario discussions on a variety of topics including crowd control, confrontation management, and threat responses.

U.S. Ambassador North noted that the Pacific Defender engagement “is an opportunity to deepen defense cooperation following the April visit of U.S. Pacific Commander Admiral Locklear.”     The Pacific Defender Outreach program provides a forum to exchange views among security forces leaders; enhances shared force protection information and understanding of security operations; develops interpersonal relationships among attendees; and contributes to regional security and stability.

The United States is a Pacific nation, and it continues to deepen its efforts in this region because of its importance, not only to its own national security, but also to the global community.  The United States seeks a secure and prosperous Papua New Guinea that is able to play a positive leadership role in the Pacific Islands region.

PNG Today/ PNG Village