Cloudy Bay denies links to terrorism

LOGGING operator Cloudy Bay Sustainable Forestry Limited (CBSFL) yesterday disassociated itself from reports that it may have links with international terrorists.

Cloudy Bay said in a statement that its board of directors and its wide workforce, consisting of local and expatriate employees, were deeply disappointed and disturbed by recent "artificial" reports published by the Post-Courier, seeking to suggest members of the company hold links to terrorism.

It was reported that a Middle-East family with alleged terrorism links has poured millions of kina into PNG businesses in the past 10 years, including logging and security service. The story was brought to the Parliament’s attention, prompting Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to ask for an investigation and what steps to take if laws were broken.

Mr O’Neill said the Government would move quickly to rid PNG of people with terrorist links who pose danger to national security. However, CBSFL said it was not one of the companies; it "confirms that the subject media reports are false, whereby the offending articles are fraught with erroneous and misleading information and imputations.

"CBSFL confirms that all its members oppose and condemn all forms of terrorism, and contrary to the undertones of the subject media reports prominent members of the company are outspoken critics of terrorism and its abhorrent effects," the company said in a statement yesterday.

The company’s legal adviser Abdullah Reslan said "the initial media reporting and public statements made thereafter by certain members of the country’s political establishment clearly aim to unjustly tarnish the good standing of the company and its members, while plainly carrying political overtones and diversionary facets intended for the current highly polarised political environment."

"CBSFL seeks the unreserved withdrawal of the suggestions made together with a public apology from the PNG Post-Courier newspaper and other individuals that have acted to mislead the public and cause harm to the company and its members," Mr Reslan said. "BSFL shall pursue all available remedies as a result of this unfortunate episode."

PNG Today / Post Courier