Potape calls for K3.8b probe

By ANDREW ALPHONSE

KOMO Margarima MP and shadow Minister for Petroleum and Energy in the Opposition Francis Potape Monday called on the O’Neill-Dion government to act swiftly on the report of a K3.8 billion graft that appeared on the front pages of both daily newspapers Monday as a step towards fighting corruption.
In a press statement delivered Monday afternoon, Mr Potape said the perpetrators of the K3.8 billion in graft, stolen in Papua New Guinea and siphoned off in Australia in the guise of investment in properties either directly by politicians or through middlemen and organisations is an alarming, dangerous and something must be done about it.
Mr Potape said if nothing is done now, politicians, department heads, public office holders and businessmen in PNG will continue to misappropriate millions of kina, invest it in Australia and with the proceeds continue to defend the plunder and wealth of PNG in courts with the spoils.
“ I’m very angry that people like me are facing court trial for allegedly misappropriating K60,000 when all the ‘big fish’ with millions of kina go into hiding in Australia, yet the systems in place cannot detect them or do something with these big time culprits,” Mr Potape said.
He challenged the O’Neill-Dion government to get real now and act, now that the cat is out of the bag.
Mr Potape said as a matter of priority among other things, Task Force Sweep boss Mr Sam Koim be protected now that he let the cat out of the bag and further safeguard the Sweep Team and provide additional funds.
He also wanted the names of the politicians and immediately relinquish any ministerial portfolios if they are in the current O’Neill-Dion government. Mr Potape also called on the Australian High Commission in PNG to assist in revealing the major players and advice Canberra to act swiftly instead of giving lip service on anti-corruption.