CHIEF SECRETARY WANTS EVIDENCE AGAINST GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION PUT FORWARD

The Government's Chief Secretary, Sir Manasupe Zurenuoc, says the Director for the Institute of National Affairs, Paul Barker, and others must come forward with evidence of corruption in relation to recent government decisions, so investigations can be carried out.

Sir Manasupe says, recent statements by Barker in the media about the government's decision to obtain loan from the U-B-S bank, to pay for shares in Oil Search was of interest to him, and he wants to investigate the claim.

Mr. Barker is said to have suggested on social media and in a weekend publication recently, that information made available to him suggest that a commission as high as 15-percent of the U-B-S loan, totally about 400-million-Australian Dollars, or about 1-billion-Kina was paid to consultants.

Sir Manasupe says this is very serious allegations and invites Mr Barker and anyone else to come forward with any evidence that might help in establishing how much was paid in commission and who it was paid to.

He says he knows the government relied on the advice of the IPBC, the Central Bank of PNG, the Treasury Department and the State Solicitor to negotiation the UBS loan, and therefore no commission was paid to any agents or advisors.

The chief secretary adds, he will use his powers under the Prime Minister and the National Executive Council Act, to investigate these allegations.

Sir Manasupe is also the chairman of the national anti-corruption strategy task force, spearheading the setting up of ICAC and other anti corruption initiatives like the whistle blower and freedom of information legislation.