PNG Government Ministers implicated in fraudulent deal

Ben Micah 

Serious allegations have been raised against two Papua New Guinea Cabinet Ministers for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent deal in acquiring a land for the relocation exercise of the PNG Naval Base at Port Moresby.

The Member for Kavieng Ben Micah raised the allegation in parliament today when asking the prime minister on how he will be dealing with the alleged fraudulent land purchase deal to acquire a land at Manu-manu in Central province from a company, allegedly with links to Kumul Consolidated Holdings Minister William Duma.

Mr. Micah, later in a press conference, said KCH had to pay K46.6 million taken from the Motor Vehicle Insurance Ltd (MVIL) trust to the company for 800 hectares of land for the relocation that the Defence Minster Dr. Fabien Pok was also allegedly involved in.

He said to this date there has not been a land title issued to KCH indicating that the land has been bought off for the relocation of the Base.

“The issue for relocating the Naval Base is just a cover up for certain people the spot light is on them to get money illegally from the government through the Kumul Consolidated Holdings,” Micah said.

Meantime, the Opposition is calling on the prime minister to immediately suspend the two Ministers for their alleged involvement to allow for investigation.

However, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said he is aware of the deal and will set up a commission of inquiry to look into it, but the Opposition is not too confident in the prime minister’s words and as such will be moving to have police investigate the matter and as well as summoning the Ombudsman Commission look into this matter.