Transparency applauds Speaker for revealing abuse

Radio New Zealand International

TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL in Papua New Guinea has applauded the Speaker Theo Zurenuoc for revealing that senior officers of parliament have been mismanaging large amounts of public money.

Mr Zurenuoc (pictured) says an audit is underway into parliament’s operations and an initial report has already uncovered serious fraud over the past 10 years.

He also called for the integrity of parliament to be restored.

The acting chair of Transparency in PNG, Gail Edoni, says this sets the tone for a good term of office.

“My understanding is he’s really going to push for things like proper debate in the House which has been sorely lacking probably over the last six to eight years,” she said.

“And now with our new speaker this is really going to make a big change and I think a change for the better.”

Gail Edoni says the perpetrators of the abuse of the funds must be disciplined and prosecuted accordingly.

Comments

[Joe Wasia]

Thanks Speaker Zurenuoc for such a bold stance few months after you were elected into the office. Hope you will make sure the Parliament is in order. You have to be neutral in everything conduct in the House.

The former Parliament speaker and MP for Sinasina Jeffery Nape has been a good puppet used in the last ten years. And he was involved in so many corrupt practices. Now he is with a rope around his neck.

Mr Speaker, deliver with the power that is entrusted in you. People of PNG now expect to see the House is in order and nation moves forward.

[Peter Kranz]

And yet Foreign Affairs Minister Ano Pala yesterday admitted in Parliament that fugitive Indonesian Djoko Tjandra wanted by Interpol, has been granted PNG citizenship.

He is wanted by Indonesia for allegedly embezzling $US65 million.

“We have seen fit to grant him citizenship and now he is promoting a heinous and evil rice project seeking to create a monopoly, a project that has been tabled before the NEC three times and it has been rejected and it is about to be tabled yet again,” Oro Governor Gary Juffa told Parliament.

He went on to say "“Why are we accommodating this person? It is an embarrassment to our neighbors in the region and in fact the rest of the world.

"He should be immediately deported and handed over to Indonesian authorities to deal with him. We should not be entertaining criminals in this country,” he said.

Authorities should investigate the relationship between Tjandra and several prominent members of the present and past O'Neil Governments.

Strange that citizenship was granted to him when he is wanted for arrest and does not meet the eligibility requirements.