06-23-2014, 02:43 PM
Koim under probe
Source:
The National, Monday June 23rd, 2014
THE Government will ask acting Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki to investigate the conduct of Sam Koim and Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil regarding the operations of the Investigation Task Force Sweep.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said there was “compelling evidence and reliable witnesses” to prove that chairman Koim and the government anti-corruption agency had been “politically compromised”.
He said evidence showed that Koim had been meeting key political figures, including Basil “privately in their residences and hotels since 2011”.
O’Neill also accused Koim of openly discussing “matters under investigation with his associates and people heavily linked to certain political figures in the country”.
“As result Sam Koim has heavily compromised his position and the integrity of the Taskforce Sweep,” he said.
O’Neill said the investigation would determine:
Whether Koim’s conduct in meeting these political leaders compromised ongoing investigations into the National Planning Department and the disappearance of about K2 billion for NADP, RESI and the capital works programme;
Whether Koim’s conduct deliberately compromised the investigations into payment made to Paraka Lawyers;
Whether Koim’s conduct politically compromised the work of the Taskforce Sweep; and,
Allegations of certain member of the Taskforce including Koim acquiring properties and assets worth millions of kina in PNG and overseas.
The investigation will also cover the spending of the K30 million allocated to the Taskforce Sweep.
“This Government is committed to fight against corruption and the Commissioner of Police will be given every support to carry out the investigation,” he said.
O’Neill said warrant issued for his arrest last Monday was a “major political plot by self-serving people to bring down the Government”.
“It is got nothing to do for with the interest of the people.
“It was to fulfill their own selfish interest,” he said.
Koim said last week after the disbanding of the agency that the decision could have been made because of the cases they were investigating.
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The following is a letter to The National from and O'Neill supporter. He makes some pretty bold assertions regarding the original fraudulent Paraka payments.
O’Neill standing firm to fight charge, political plot
Source:
The National, Monday June 23rd, 2014
THE letter “Prime Minister O’Neill should be sent to prison” by Wanbel Niape published on Friday June 20, 2014 should not go unchallenged.
I have been following this issue very closely since Opposition Leader Belden Namah raised the alleged letter on the floor of Parliament last year.
It is clear to me the Prime Minister did not know of the existence of the letter.
That is why he denied that it came from him and immediately ordered an investigation into corrupt and illegal payments at the Finance Department.
If he knew about it he would have used his power to cover up the whole thing.
He was concerned and wanted a clean out so he sent Chief Secretary Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc to take charge at Finance.
What was discovered was shocking.
A ring of very senior and experienced people at Finance had concocted a scheme that would ensure that improper and illegal payments continue unabated.
This ring of people and their crook friends created and kept letters of authority that, if their evil scheme were to be exposed, they would bring those letters of authority out and hold their bosses or politicians to ransom and say: “Keep this under control or we will expose these letters and we will all go down.”
Take a close look at the letter the Prime Minister is alleged to have
signed.
It is addressed to Treasurer Don Polye, but for the attention of Finance Secretary Steven Gibson, and opens with “Dear Sir”.
For me, it is highly unusual for the Prime Minister to greet his Minister or a department head with “Dear
Sir”.
t clearly shows the letter did not originate from the Prime Minister or his office.
His signature is now an issue of contention, with the Task Force Sweep chairman Sam Koim using the opinion of a Sydney based company which examined the signature to write to then Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga to arrest O’Neill for alleged official corruption.
In his letter to the Police Commissioner, Koim also refers to payments made to Paul Paraka Lawyers while O’Neill was Finance and Treasury Minister under the Somare Government.
But he offers no letters or evidence to support his claim that O’Neill authorised these payments.
I believe these payments Koim referred to were perpetrated by this ring of crooks without anyone high up knowing.
These crooks used these letters of authority to give their evil scheme legitimacy and perpetuity, and security of cover once they were exposed.
The Paraka Lawyers payments are probably part of hundreds of millions of kina more that have been stolen using this scheme.
I must thank the Prime Minister for smashing this ring and putting a stop to this theft.
It is unfortunate that O’Neill is going through this upheaval but I’m confident he will come out of it unscathed.
People should remember O’Neill is fighting on two fronts.
One is the charge laid by police which I’m confident he will beat when fully tested.
The second is the political plot, riding underneath the first, by his opponents and their cronies to bring down his government.
That is why the Prime Minister is standing firm. He is not running away or hiding from anyone.
I’m confident O’Neill will overcome both challenges.
Stuart Grant
Waigani, NCD
for our cause