Was public money used to fund coup, Gov Juffa asks Minister Gore
29 October 2014
PNG EXPOSED | Edited extracts
ORO Governor Gary Juffa has demanded explanations from Community Development Minister Delilah Gore who he alleges used her official position to draw funds from the Department of Community Development to sponsor yesterday's political upheaval in Oro Province.
Governor Juffa was presented with copies of vouchers indicating that the Department of Community Affairs had paid for accommodation for four Oro local level government presidents who stayed at the Grand Papua Hotel for four nights at the expense of the Department.
The documents show that the Department paid over K17,000 to the hotel for the accommodation.
“The presidents for Kira, Afore, Tufi and Oro Bay were accommodated at the Grand Papua at the expense of the Department and PNG taxpayers, allegedly for political reasons,” Mr Juffa said.
“This is in breach of various laws and amounts to misuse of funds.
“The Minister must explain why her Department is funding political upheaval in my province.
“I have referred the matter to the Police Fraud Squad and the Ombudsman for investigations. They can deal with this.”
Governor Juffa said that all provincial projects were now under review to enable an accounting of public funds.
He said that already several incomplete projects had been identified such as the K5.5 million MV Ijivitari purchased by the Member for Ijivitari, David Arore, also an alleged plotter in the attempted Juffa coup.
The vessel was launched two years ago but had not seen service.
The review will also target Afore High School for which K600,000 in feasibility studies was paid to a Port Moresby company that has since disappeared to Malaysia.
Mr Juffa also said K2 million had been allocated to the redevelopment of Popondetta Town Market but work done equivalent to the money paid.
He confirmed that all funds illegally expended will be referred to authorities for review including those used for procurement by authorities not legally authorised to award contracts.
Photo: Convoy of 10 seater Land Cruisers which yesterday travelled from Awala village, home of convicted former Governor Siembo, to the seat of the Provincial Assembly in Popondetta. Once the locks had been broken and illegal entry made into the Assembly chamber, the former Governor was sworn in as Clerk and then swore in David Arore MP as the new puppet Governor (PNG Exposed)
The place of Awala, away and above, is fondly memorialised for significance to people of the nation Papua New Guinea.
Near Awala, in 1942, began a physical tussle to defend sovereign lands (now PNG).
At Awala in 2004, leadership of that defence was celebrated as reported* in a name change of Awala Community School to honour a William Watson, Major awhile at that 1942 awe-inspired event.
Contrast that with 2014 report of people in a wagon convoy from Awala, west of Doublecross, eastward tripping for a tipping.
Posted by: Lindsay F Bond | 31 October 2014 at 11:11 AM
Very dangerous precedent, and to think that foreign and Asian logging interests are involved is undermining the sovereignty of the country.
When can all the right thinking and law abiding citizens of this country say enough is enough?
Posted by: John Kaupa Kamasua | 30 October 2014 at 02:47 PM
Laws are laws and must be seen to be enforced.
Such a jungle-justice precedent must not be set at all.
Posted by: Samuel Roth | 30 October 2014 at 12:10 PM
Evidence has proved it all. MP Gore is not above the law of this land.
If the simple PNG worker earning a lousy K250 per fortnight did that, he or she would have been dealt with severely.
Investigate MP Gore and charge her accordingly. If it's meant for bihain the bars, do so.
Posted by: George Kuias | 30 October 2014 at 10:50 AM