Kua : PNG Government Suppressing anti-corruption efforts

Former Attorney General Kerenga Kua says the government is suppressing efforts to fight corruption.

His comments comes as the head of PNG's premier anti-corruption unit, Taskforce Sweep, has had his pay frozen.

Sam Koim investigated alleged massive illegal state payments to a law firm, which resulted in an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister in June.

The government says Mr Koim's secondment to Taskforce Sweep has been completed.

But Mr Kua, who was sacked as Attorney General by Peter O'Neill following the issuance of the arrest warrant, says the government is trying to freeze Mr Koim out.

"All they're trying to do - the Prime Minister and the powers that are presently in office - is to suppress the work of anti-corruption in this country. And all I will do is say look, if we are serious, if we want the country and the Pacific region, if we want the international community, who are all our development partners, to believe our political rhetorics, we must allow the Sweep team to do its job and nobody must interfere," Kerengua Kua said.

RNZI