Sir Puka seeks blessing

Naima Group asks Cabinet help for K200m project

A COMPANY linked to wanted Indonesian fugitive Djoko Tjandra is seeking Cabinet’s blessings to invest in a K200 million 26-floors building in the heart of Waigani in the National Capital District.
The Public Service and Transport Ministers, Sir Puka Temu and Ano Pala, are among a number of ministers who are supporting the submission.
 
Cabinet was caught by surprise at its last meeting when Sir Puka submitted a proposal for private firm Naima Group of Companies to build a high-rise building and an office complex under a “build, own and lease” arrangement.
The submission is likely to trigger public uproar and comes on the back of growing criticism labeled at the O’Neill government for letting a British-registered Boeing 737 to leave the country last weekend, despite recommendations by PNG Police for its owners and passengers to be investigated and charged.
Oro Governor Gary Juffa, who has been critical of the delay by the O’Neill government in concluding its investigations into the controversial awarding of PNG citizenship to Djoko, warned that the arrival of the aircraft and its passengers confirmed that the country has become a haven for international fugitives.
Djoko is on the Interpol’s wanted list after he fled Indonesia following the Supreme Court’s decision to jail him for embezzling $65 million.
Despite the Indonesian’s criminal background, the PNG Government awarded him PNG citizenship, overlooking its own requirements for citizenship applicants to be PNG residents for close to 10 years.
Another Djoko-linked project, the Naima Rice Project in Central Province, was scrapped by the O’Neill Government last year.
 
The Post-Courier understands the submission will be considered when the National Executive Council (Cabinet) meets today. The attempt to get Cabinet’s approval at its last meeting failed when ministers could not agree. Approval by the National Capital District Commission’s Building Physical Planning Board appeared to be a sticky issue for the ministers.
Speaking to the Post-Courier yesterday, Sir Puka said the proposal was still being negotiated and Prime Minister Peter O’Neill would be the one to make the announcement.
He confirmed he had submitted the proposal and is negotiating for funds to “build operate and transfer” on state land in Waigani.