Boost for Asset recovery and Corruption investigations in PNG

Asset recovery and corruption investigations efforts in PNG have received a boost from the European Union-funded Project on Preventing and Countering Corruption in Papua New Guinea, implemented jointly by the United Nations Office on Drugs (UNODC) and Crime and the United Nations Development Programme.

The Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) recently collaborated with UNODC to increase its capacity through mentoring, training and other assistance.

UNODC and NFACD worked together to identify good practices for investigation planning of corruption cases and asset recovery, as well as to explore options on how these practices can be applied in the PNG context.

“Under the EU-PNG Partnership for Good Governance, the European Union allocated approximately 100 million Kina for actions aiming at promoting good governance and the respect of the rule of law. The European Union stands by the PNG Government to progress core reforms to strengthen law and order, including support to police who enforce anticorruption laws,” said Mr. Hans Lambrecht, Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to PNG.

“UNODC is a proud partner to the RPNGC. The work of the experienced investigators of the NFACD is central to the PNG Government’s vision to strengthen law and order and to combat corruption,” said Mr Graeme Gunn, the UNODC PNG Officer-in-Charge and Anti-Corruption Adviser.

“Criminal investigations and prosecutions are powerful tools against corrupt conduct” said Mr Pare Kuiap, incoming Director Prosecutions RPNGC.

UNODC is assisting RPNGC, the interim Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), and the Office of the Public Prosecutor to enhance anti-corruption and anti-money laundering law enforcement and asset recovery. 

These agencies are stronger when they work together and will provide critical support to the operational success of the ICAC when it begins investigations once the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioners are appointed.

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