By Grace Tiden
The Attorney General Dr Allan Marat has issued instructions for an entirely independent investigation team to be set up to investigate the cause of PNG’s worst shipping disaster.
Speaking in Rabaul during the weekend, Dr Marat who is currently on compassionate leave, said he has advised through the acting Minister for Justice and Attorney General and leader of government business Moses Maladina to set up an entirely independent investigation team.
“One of the terms of reference on this Commission of Inquiry into the shipping disaster is to inquire into members of the travelling public here, how they are treated on board these vessels when they travel to Kimbe or Lae. Some of them stand all night. For the whole duration of the trip, they stand. There is no place to sleep because all space is taken up by other passengers. I think it is time the travelling public especially in Rabaul District be treated as human beings and not as animals,” he said.
He said they will set up an independent investigation team for the time being and later a Commission of Inquiry.
The Attorney General Dr Allan Marat has issued instructions for an entirely independent investigation team to be set up to investigate the cause of PNG’s worst shipping disaster.
Speaking in Rabaul during the weekend, Dr Marat who is currently on compassionate leave, said he has advised through the acting Minister for Justice and Attorney General and leader of government business Moses Maladina to set up an entirely independent investigation team.
“Not investigators from the Department of Transport because I don’t trust the integrity of the composition of the membership of that investigation team. I don’t trust it. I have my own reasons,” he said.Dr Marat also said he has instructed Mr Maladina to advice the Prime Minister to set up a Commission of Inquiry.
“One of the terms of reference on this Commission of Inquiry into the shipping disaster is to inquire into members of the travelling public here, how they are treated on board these vessels when they travel to Kimbe or Lae. Some of them stand all night. For the whole duration of the trip, they stand. There is no place to sleep because all space is taken up by other passengers. I think it is time the travelling public especially in Rabaul District be treated as human beings and not as animals,” he said.
He said they will set up an independent investigation team for the time being and later a Commission of Inquiry.
“That is the power given under the Attorney General Act through the Attorney General; he can issue at his own discretion any advice to any minister, to do what is just in these circumstances,” he said.Dr Marat added that from information he had collected so far, the vessel MV Rabaul Queen was not in good working condition.
“I heard that it had some wet cement or there was a hole or something like that and yet the boat was allowed to sail. That is clear negligence.Dr Marat said his conclusion of the manner in which people have been allowed to travel on this ships, was that people were trying to make money at the expense of the safety of the travelling public.
“The other reasons were that one of the engines were not functioning, the ship was overloaded and the weather was very bad,” Dr Marat said.
“I accept the fact that people need to travel. You cannot put a stop to that. But the means of transportation must always be top class. They must treat the normal travelling public as human beings not as animals,” he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment