EOIN BLACKWELL
AAP PAPUA NEW GUINEA CORRESPONDENT

CORRUPTION IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA's government departments has become institutionalised, where illegality and secrecy is sanctioned to the extent that the nation is now a "mobocracy".

That's what the government of PNG has been told by its corruption watchdog, Task Force Sweep, which today handed its final report on its seven-month investigation into malpractice across government agencies.

"Generally our investigations have revealed a very frightening trend of corruption in this country," taskforce chairman Sam Koim said.

"The level of corruption has migrated from sporadic to systematic and now to institutionalisation, where government institutions are dominated by corrupt people who orchestrate corruption using lawful authorities.

"Institutions that are supposed to practice openness and provide check and balance are now becoming a secrecy haven, where they sanction illegality and secrecy."

Describing corrupt officials as a mob, Mr Koim said they had turned PNG from a constitutional democracy into a mobocracy.

The full report has yet to be made public, but Mr Koim said 20 politicians will be referred to the ombudsman commission for further investigation, while 24 public servants had been suspended for "facilitating or benefiting from corruption".

Mr Koim also said more than 10 lawyers will be referred to the PNG law society for investigation.