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PNG’s Juffa seeks new approach to policing
Radio New Zealand
The outspoken Papua New Guinea MP Gary Juffa says to address the country’s chronic law and order problems requires a holistic approach.
The Governor of Oro Province, Mr Juffa says among the priorities for PNG should be to modernise the police force, replenish the prosecutorial offices and bolster the judiciary.
He says that as well as a large number of violent crimes that need investigating, there is a lot of white-collar crime which PNG must deal with.
Gary Juffa spoke to Johnny Blades about his ideas for addressing the law and order crisis.
JUFFA: “The police has not been developed and modernised over a period of years, I would say, since independence. If you look at the population of PNG as it is now, it’s between 7 million and 8 million. The population of PNG at independence was about 2.8 million thereabouts. The police staff ceiling was 4,000, 5,000 officers. That staff ceiling has not improved till now. It’s still 5,000 officers. You’ve got an ageing force, you’ve got a huge population. You’ve got an increase in the types of crimes. There’s complex violent crimes, there’s complex fraud and so forth, and the police are just unable to cope because they just do not have the resources, nor do they have the manpower, the numbers. Morale is down. They need to modernise and modify themselves to cope with the problems they face in today’s world.”
BLADES: “Is the O’Neill government doing anything about this, do you think? Significant moves?”
JUFFA: “I’m satisfied that they are making a significant move in that direction. They’ve just carried out a modernisation program and they are now in the process of trying to recruit more policemen. You have a recruitment program annually so that these numbers can be improved. They are trying to look at the ageing force and retiring a number of the upper echelon of the police so they can bring in new officers. They’re also looking at creating an independent commission against corruption, a new body that will have federal powers to investigate serious corruption in the country.”
BLADES: “Will this just follow on from Sam Koim’s team?”
JUFFA: “I think the intention is to give some more resources and definition to that taskforce. Sam Koim’s taskforce, which has been doing a tremendous job under very harsh conditions or restrictions, they’ve achieved a lot and I would support that bill.”
BLADES: “Do you think that taskforce is going to be able to see through some prosecution? Obviously they’re not doing the prosecution. Do you think it’ll come about, because there are going to be some high-level embarrassments?”
JUFFA: “What has happened here is while we have created the taskforce, we need to revamp the prosecution aspect. And that office is a malnourished office insofar as resources are concerned. The prosecution office needs to be completely overhauled. You need to bring in vibrant, very effective prosecutors, well-trained, with experience – I would even go as far as suggesting from overseas. Give them the resources, then they will be able to take what the taskforce is doing to another level and achieve some outcomes. But then you’d have to look at the judiciary as well, which is quite depleted of staff. There are not enough magistrates, there are not enough judges. The case turnover is very slow. These things have to be all addressed holistically.”
Forest Minister looking to block SABL report?
From Thomas Imal on Facebook
From reliable sources, the Forest Minister has sought legal advice from two Queens Counsel in Australia and he will be pushing to stop the Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Special Purpose Agriculture & Business Leases from being tabled and made public, on a number of legal grounds.
One of their main arguments for seeking to nullify the report is that the COI final report was not completed and tabled within the time set and there was no valid extension of time granted.
This is a similar situation with the NPF Inquiry, but the situation can be rectified by the government passing a short piece of legislation to validate the Report.
It will be interesting, as it unfolds and we have to make noise about it so the pollies know that we are watching…
Road Contracts awarded to Crooked Companies blacklisted by the World Bank
Prime Minister O’Neil holds himself out as a moderniser, a leader who plans to centralise and utilise the nation’s vast natural wealth, to build the pillars of a strong, independent national economy, i.e. education, health, roads, transport, infrastructure, industry, technology, law and order. His critics, mostly foreign, stare incredulously at the O’Neill government, as their sweetheart deals dry up.
Yet anyone who has taken the time to seriously glance northwards would know that those nations who have broken with neoliberal dictates, by implementing a strong state-led development model, that focuses on fostering national industries, are the only countries who have successfully broken the cycle of dependency and poverty. To its credit the O’Neill government stands tall as arguably the first government in PNG willing to give this a serious go; his predecessors have proven all too willing to drink the foreign advisers’ coolaid, while at the same time lining their pockets through corruption and backroom deals.
But serious challenges remain. In particular, the PNG state bears the scars of dependency; a despondent civil service, all too prepared to take brown paper bags full of money – to be fair, with sky rocketing inflation this has become something of a necessity for PNG’s emerging middle class – and a political elite so consumed with frauds and scams, they have sign away the family silver to foreign multinationals for bargain basement prices.
O’Neill must stare down this reality, and combat it with all the resources at his command. One area in which this is particularly vital is roads. Along with telecommunications, utilities and urban planning, a well organised roads networks will be vital to a healthy, independent national economy that benefits not only big capital, but just as importantly – if not more importantly – those millions of small farmers who want to get their goods to market.
Road procurement then is no laughing matter. Accordingly, PNG Exposed has been scrutinising a number of recent contracts awarded to construction companies to build major roads and highways (see Post Courier 12/4/2013 and 18/1/2013). Collectively these awards amount to almost K1 billion. Yes, lets underscore and italicise that figure, K1 billion, it is a sobering amount.
Sadly, following investigation many of the most lucrative contracts have been awarded to companies slammed for corruption, bribery and fraud by the World Bank, Transparency International, the Auditor General and the Public Accounts Committee. We outline key cases in the table below.
If the Prime Minister is to earn his reputation as a moderniser, roads procurement is a good a place to start as any. Prime Minister, PNG Exposed asks, why is a major artery of PNG’s economic health, being clogged up with contractors who the World Bank won’t touch?
Seizing back control of PNG’s mineral wealth is only one pillar for a truly independent PNG, it is absolutely vital every one of those dollars wrestled from foreign interests is used wisely, prudently and transparently, to fund the critical infrastructure future generations will need to make PNG the great nation it can be.
Company | PNG Contract | Corruption Allegations |
China Harbour Engineering Company PNG Ltd | K318 million for 18.7 km of road.(K196,000,000 – Gerehu, Hanuabada and K122,000,000 – Gerehu, Nine Mile). | China Harbour Engineering Company’s parent company, and all its subsidiaries (including its PNG subsidiaries), have been blacklisted until 12/1/2017 by the World Bank for all contracts related to roads and bridges, owing to “fraudulent practices” (Source: World Bank 2011).The courts in Bangladesh found that China Harbour Engineering Company paid bribes to the son of the Bangladeshi Prime Minister, who was then sentenced to six years in prison. (Source: The Hindu 2011)
In 2012 an Audit was conducted by the Jamaican government into two major infrastructure projects, one of which was awarded to China Harbour Engineering Company. The Minister for Transport, Works and Housing claimed, “The report from the forensic auditor has unearthed wanton disregard for the conventions and procedures established by the Government of Jamaica for project implementation, administration and management. These breaches of existing procurement guidelines have drained precious budgetary resources and undermined the very foundation of public institutional integrity” (Source: Caribbean Analysis 2012). China Habour Engineering Company negotiated with the Cayman Islands Premier to build and run a major port facility. This deal was stopped, when the UK government blew the whistle over the procurement arrangements. Later it was revealed the process had been fast tracked by the Premier, in violation of legal process (Source: CayCompass 2013). |
Global Constructions Ltd(Note: Current Works Minister, Francis Awesa, was a Managing Director and major Shareholder at Global Construction Ltd) | K85,000,000 for Gordons Industrial Road Stage 2. | According to Transparency International (TI), in 2001/2002, the People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) appointed one of its ‘cronies’ CEO of the National Capital District (NCD). TI then note, “The later awarding of a contract to expand the city’s road system to a Global Construction company (GC) immediately after the appointment of the PDM-sponsored CEO, Mr. Kipit, raised several implications, including that of manipulation of the tendering procedures. GC had experience only in the Southern Highlands province and had little exposure to civil engineering in urban cities like Port Moresby. There were also established companies like Curtin Brothers and Barclay Brothers, who had wealth of experience of civil engineering in PNG, but were overlooked for the construction job in the city. GC is also a company rumoured to have substantial share ownership among some members of the ruling PDM party” (Transparency International 2003).In 2002 the Public Accounts Committee found that a NCD road contract bid by Global Constructions Ltd was altered by an NCD official, so Global Construction’s quote was cheaper than its rivals. (Post Courier, 25/10/2002)
It is alleged that Global Constructions was given a K10 million contract in breach of the Public Finance Management Act. (Source: Post Courier 2012) Global Construction has also been subject to criticism in social media forums, see here. |
Paga Hill Development Company(Note: Former Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Nali, is a shareholder in this company) | Amount unknown, Paga Hill Ring Road | Paga Hill Developent Company’s Chairman and Secretary, Gudmundur Fridriksson, is alleged by the Public Accounts Committee to have acquired a 13.7 hectare plot of land at Paga Hill through “corrupt dealings”. His other company CCS Anvil has been slammed in 2 Auditor General reports and 3 Public Account Committee reports. The most serious accusation involves the alleged theft of K2 million from deceased estates when working for PNG’s Public Curator’s Office. (Source: International State Crime Initiative 2012) |
Biscuit boss doesn’t crumble
PNG Industry News
LAE Biscuit Company chief Ian Chow has reportedly received a 12-month good behaviour bond and has been ordered to donate $US10,000 to charity after he pleaded guilty to one charge of illegally importing ammunition-making material into Papua New Guinea from Australia.
According to The Age newspaper, the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court decided the imported gunpowder, cartridges, primer and propellant from Australia was not for criminal use but intended to make ammunition for Chow’s local gun club.
The contraband material was reportedly sent over in boxes which were falsely marked as containing household items and biscuit-making ingredients.
An Australian citizen from a prominent Chinese business family in PNG, Chow faced pornography charges in PNG back in 2006.
He is a “stalwart representative” of the PNG Practical Shooting Association, according to its website.
Logging industry leads in widespread forced labour and sexual exploitation
From ACT NOW!
“Survey respondents indicated that trafficking for the purpose of forced labour and sexual exploita$on is occurring at a high rate… The logging industry received the highest results by survey respondents as a business sector that exposes persons to risks of trafficking.”
“Consultations with… law enforcement and border officers indicated that logging industry tugboats smuggle people in containers under the cover of darkness at night or during stormy weather bypassing checkpoints to directly enter logging camps to evade detection. These people work as laborers or as prostitutes at the logging sites.
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Trafficking for forced labour and sexual exploitation rife in Papua New Guinea – report
By Thin Lei Win | Trust Law
Women and girls in Papua Guinea are being trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour and domestic servitude within the country and across international borders, according to a new report launched this week [1.5mb].
In the absence of any laws criminalising trafficking in persons, “victims of trafficking are at risk of prosecution and further psychological and physical abuse and trauma” under Papua New Guinea’s current legal system, the report added.
The report, by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Papua New Guinea Department of Justice and Attorney General, is the first to provide baseline statistics on people who have been smuggled and trafficked in the country.
The report is based on 93 surveys and 27 in-depth consultations in four provinces.
Survey respondents said sex trafficking is the most prevalent form of trafficking in PNG, followed by labour, domestic servitude and child trafficking.
Females, especially young women between 18-25, are perceived to be more vulnerable in all demographics.
Girls are more than twice as likely to become trafficking victims as boys and children who do not attend school are at greater risk, the report said.
The logging industry was identified as the sector that most exposes people to the risk of trafficking, the survey found.
People who work in and around marketplaces, bars, restaurants and gaming clubs faced the second-highest level of risk.
Respondents said trafficking in PNG is both internal and transnational in nature, with most transnational trafficking occurring through the PNG-Indonesia border with PNG as a destination.
Ian Chow faces upto two years jail in Australia
By Adam Cooper, The Age
An Australian expatriate has pleaded guilty to trying to illegally export components used in the manufacture of ammunition into Papua New Guinea.
Ian Chow will be sentenced on Thursday afternoon in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to the charge of exporting prohibited goods.
In a pre-sentencing hearing on Thursday, the court heard Chow was a high-profile businessman in PNG when he instigated the exportation of gunpowder, cartridge cases, primer and propellant from Australia in 2012 in boxes that were marked as containing household items and ingredients for making biscuits.
Chow is the managing director of Lae Biscuit Company, based in the country’s second-largest city.
The items were detected when PNG authorities inspected a ship that arrived in Lae and looked in the containers, which were wrapped in black plastic.
The court was told Chow was present at the time and did not have a permit for the items. He was arrested by Australian Federal Police last year.
Michelle Sewell, for the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions, told the court Chow paid an associate, Peter Cunningham, $16,200 to source the gunpowder and other items and arrange for them to be exported through another man, Frank Goodwin.
She said Cunningham falsified documents to have the items exported out of Australia and that he and Chow had assured Mr Goodwin there were no concerns over the ship’s contents.
The court heard Cunningham pleaded guilty to exporting prohibited goods in an ACT court last December and was put on a good behaviour bond with conviction and fined $500. No action was taken against Mr Goodwin.
Ms Sewell told magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg that Chow deserved a more severe punishment given his role in organising the plan and instructing Cunningham.
Chow’s lawyer told the court his client had the ammunition components sent to PNG for use by members of the Lae Pistol Club and that his reasons for doing so were for “legitimate, lawful and pro-social purposes”.
The court heard Chow chose to take a “short cut” by shipping the items to PNG without permission from authorities, as the shooting club and police officers in Lae were short of ammunition when Chow’s house burnt down in February last year.
Chow had kept ammunition for the club at his house and that it had been destroyed in the fire, the court heard.
Ms Sewell told the court the AFP accepted there were no criminal motives behind Chow’s attempts to rush the components in undetected. The items would have been lawful with a permit, she said.
Chow faces up to two years in jail and a fine of $13,200.