PNG fights to stay afloat

in a sea of corruption

By Sam Vulum

PAPUA New Guinea, like some of its Pacific neigh bours, is trapped and sink ing fast in a sea of corrup tion. The government of Prime Minister Bill Skate, which has itself been the subject of widespread public outrage and condem nation over graft allegations, is determined to steer clear and keep PNG afloat at every possible cost.

It has swiftly moved to formulate and draft a bill for the establishment of an anti corruption body to be known as the

Independent Commission Against

Corruption (ICAC). The commission, prob ably the first of its kind in the South Pacific region, is aimed at fighting “white collar” crime. Corruption, the most corrosive of all PNG’s ills, is compounded with PNG’s other worrying strappings of development.

These include a deep economic crisis, rising urban crime, widespread poverty, a high unemployment rate and faltering

infrastructure. It blew up in the form of the Sandline mercenary crisis. The subsequent impact, on the demise of former Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan and several key members of his former regime in the July 1998 elections, led to strong vigour and determination from the new PM, Skate, to eradicate the rot and invigorate public trust and confidence in the government. He won his current seat on an anti-corruption plat form.

However, after only months in office, his efforts were seriously tainted by the infamous Mujo Sefa video tapes and relat ed allegations. Although the public outrage and wrangling over the tapes have waned with time, many disturbing questions have remained unanswered.

Skate, who maintained that the allega tions were the work of politically-motivat ed moves aimed at destabilising and dis crediting his government, wanted to put this behind him and move with the ICAC legislation and other anti-corruption drives.

A government task force, headed by

prominent PNG lawyer Peter Donigi, draft ed the legislation and a select parliamen tary committee toured the country collect ing views on the role of the commission.

The committee was to assess the views and prepare a report for parliament to deliberate on this month.

ICAC, which has wide ranging powers, from searching and investigating suspects, to arresting and prosecuting them, will work alongside the Police Force, Ombudsman Commission and other law enforcing agencies. The commission will investigate and prosecute the following offences: bribery of MPs, disclosure of official secrets, corruption and abuse of office, illegal and corrupt practices at elec tions, attempting to pervert justice, stealing and obtaining property by false pretences, cheating, fraud by trustees and officers of corporations and false accounting.

Although the proposal got stiff criticism from the beginning, especially from the opposition, it has been received with popu lar support from the general public. ■