Basil commends and urges watchdog to dig deep and wide

Bulolo MP and deputy leader of Opposition Sam Basil today (Sunday August 19) commended the enforcer of the Leadership Code - the Ombudsman Commission – for its proactive response on his call for public accounting on funding of elections.

“I am pleased that that acting Chief Ombudsman John Nero has taken my public call on parliamentary leaders and political party executives to account for their election campaign funding seriously,” Basil said, following an EMTV news item featuring Mr Nero’s public comments on Saturday evening.

The head of PNG’s watchdog said on TV that the Ombudsman Commission would investigate the use of District Services Improvement Programme funds by both ousted and returned MPs. 

Open MPs are chairmen of their joint district planning and budget priorities committees which determine priorities for disbursement.

It is estimated that the 89 Open MPs had access to some K27 million each from 2007-2012 in DSIP funds. 

That equates to an expenditure of at least K2.4 billion for the five years of the eighth Parliament. Equitably divided annually, that’s K480 million. 

“The figure of K500 million estimated by the un-named international observer is a very serious issue," Basil said.

" As I said previously, we in Papua New Guinea Party have made no secret of what was spent – and we can honestly and transparently point to the source(s) of these funds.

“But the question of who spent the K470 million, where the source of these funds are, and who was responsible in making them available strikes at the heart of integrity of returned Members of Parliament.”

The vibrant Bulolo MP said that the public needed to know where the monies came from.

“Did they originate from the public purse? How were they authorised? And by whom? Were Public Finance (Management) Act procedures followed in their disbursement, transfer or re-allocation – and in accessing these public funds?

“And if the funds were foreign, have these been made known to the Registrar of Political Parties? What were the purposes these foreign funds were given to political parties and/or candidates who might now be Members of Parliament?

“No returned MP – including Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Treasurer Don Polye, Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, Public Service Minister Sir Puka Temu – and even the provincial governors - can hold their heads high until an investigation dispels these dark clouds hovering around.

“Naturally those of us who were in the O’Neill-Namah Government must be the first to face the music. 

"But the investigation by the Ombudsman Commission must extend to use of other State Assets like departmental vehicles, aircrafts and sea vessels.

“I am also calling on the Ombudsman Commission to make public their own investigations into the NPF Inquiry, the Cayman Islands deal, the Sandline issue, who gave the order for the assassination of the late Theodore Miriung, and the multiple-breaking of PNG domestic laws, invasion of Solomon Islands airspace and sovereignty, and breaches of other international aviation laws in the apparent state-aided clandestine escape of former Solomon Islands Attorney-General Julian Moti.

“And what is going to happen to the K800 million debt exposed by former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta in the abuse of Independent Public Business Enterprises to borrow to fund PNG’s stake in the multi-billion ExxonMobil-led PNG LNG Project?

Basil said that these and many more costly controversies involving the public purse affect leadership integrity and could be – if not already – the cause of public distrust in political leadership.

“Leading PNG statesmen in the current O’Neill Government – and newer MPs – cannot be trusted by the public unless all these matters are aired and resolved publicly by the relevant Government authorities,” the Bulolo MP said.

“The Ombudsman Commission as lead agency in enforcing the Leadership Code must mobilise other sister agencies to intensely and expeditiously investigate these matters.

“If Mr Nero and his colleagues in other law enforcement agencies do this, the people’s negative perceptions and attitudes will settle and confidence can be restored in political leaders."

Basil calls for unity on Indonesian military jet incident

Minister for National Planning and Monitoring Sam Basil today urged the nation to remain united over the Indonesian military jet incident involving the Falcon jet.   

“No nation, however large or small, however rich or poor, however large or small its army, should be allowed to intimidate, coerce, manipulate and dominate another,” Basil said. 

 “That is one of the pillars that hold up the United Nations and the basis upon which Deputy Prime Minister  Belden Namah raised the issue on the November 29, 2011 incident.”

 

 Basil was referring to the much-publicised issue on an intercept by two Indonesian military jets on the Air Niugini-managed Falcon jet. 

 

Namah and his business partners together with Minister for Police ohn Boito and Basil were on-board as well flying over Sulawesi in the Indonesian air space when the incident happened. 

 

 “I am urging Papua New Guineans not to be swayed by malicious and untrue suggestions that the Falcon jet was carrying US$250 million," Basil said.

 

"That is a red herring – a mere diversion from the real issue. 

 

 “The Falcon jet was chartered by the Bewani oil palm project and was ferrying business partners in the project which included Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah, Minister Boito and myself.

 

“I was there because the trip offered insights into oil palm project management which is useful in the light of the Tekadu oil palm project in my Bulolo electorate as well as the Markham Valley oil palm project in Morobe generally – not to mention that as National Planning and Monitoring Minister I would sooner or later have to deal with oil palm-related issues.

 

“As a commercial chartered aircraft, all of us were subject to the rigorous checks required under customs, immigration and civil aviation laws of the various countries where we landed. 

 

"That includes declaration if any one of us was carrying more than the equivalent of K10,000 in cash which we all complied with.  

 

"“With the kind of portfolio held by Boito and my own strong stance in fighting corruption shown in the Investigative Task Force Sweep, why would we be a party to money laundering or any kind of illegal activity for that matter?

 

“If there was the slightest sniff or suggestion of money laundering or illegality of any kind, I personally would have distanced myself from the trip.”

 

The Bulolo MP added: “Spearheaded by Mr Namah, we formed the new O’Neill-Namah Government that wants to see issues like lying over shares one holds, resisting and delaying legitimate Ombudsman Commission processes through the court system, unexplained missing Taiwan dollar-for-Ddplomacy funds, breaking multitude of PNG, Solomon Islands and international aviation laws highlighted in the Defence Force Inquiry into the Julian Moti Affair and extensive waste of funds in the Commission of Inquiry into the Department of Finance with no one charged or prosecuted to date.”

 

 Basil said that the Deputy Prime Minister, a national leader of Papua New Guinea hasdexpressed concern based on what was observed and the reports of the pilot and co-pilot on the incident involving the two Indonesian military jets.  

 

A diplomatic note has given to the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia who have in turn responded suggesting discrepancies in dates approved when the Falcon jet would be using Indonesian air space and as justification for the actions of their military jets.

 

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, as executive head of Government has accepted the response subject to clarification on the dates and assured the Republic of Indonesia on the importance of amicable bilateral relations between our two countries.

 

Basil said that he personally finds the Indonesian Embassy response shallow and wanting.

 

Referring to the Occurrence Report - O471-11 Apparent Intercept by Military Jet Aircraft over Indonesian Airspace by Captain Christopher Smith, Basil said that the Falcon jet despite being on course and on altitude was given a traffic alert on their traffic collision avoidance system and a resolution advisory which caused Captain Vincent Kipma to disengage the autopilot. He had to make a steep climb “to avoid a collision”.

 

 Following the “bizarre confrontation”, Captain Smith radioed Ujung control asking if they had the Falcon jet’s overflight permit which was issued on November 27, 2011 and valid for seven days.

 

The report states: “After several minutes, they responded with an affirmative. A phone call was then placed to Universal Weather from the flight phone explaining the engagement and to check the validity of the Overflight Permit. 

 

"They acknowledged that it was valid and said they would follow up with Indonesia on their end.”

 

Basil concluded: “I agree there is a discrepancy. 

 

"Someone is not telling the truth – and the truth as a way of sipping out despite best efforts to cover up – even by nations.”

Basil levels charges against Morobe leader

BULOLO MP Sam Basil has levelled serious corruption allegations against his Morobe Governor Luther Wenge during debate on the National Anti-Corruption Strategy statement in parliament yesterday, The National reports.

Basil, who is National Planning Minister and deputy leader of PNG Party, made the allegation against Wenge who is in government ranks.
Last week, PNG Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah went on national radio calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to resign.
Wenge, who took the floor to debate the issue, alleged that corrupt people included politicians and public servants.
Basil raised a point of order, then, pointing fingers at Wenge, said that the governor was involved in corrupt dealings with land sales in Lae.
Wenge denied the claim, adding that those pointing fingers should be investigated to see whether they were clean.
During debate, Wenge said that corruption had become a part of PNG life from small people, to churches, public service and members of parliament.
He said he supported the statement from the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, adding that it would be a huge task in tackling corruption but at least a start had been made.
Wenge said when politicians choose their own district administrator because the person had contributed pigs to his election gathering that was corruption