Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Watchdog says more PNG state agencies should take action over Moti affair

Posted at 07:12 on 03 October, 2007 UTC

The anti corruption group, Transparency International Papua New Guinea, says more government authorities should be taking action in the wake of the Moti affair.

The Defence Force inquiry into the flight of Mr Moti from PNG aboard a military aircraft last October is yet to be formally made public, and parliamentary debate on it has been stifled, though some of its content has been leaked.

The secretary of TI in PNG, Richard Kassman, says it is up to the new Defence Minister to take appropriate action over the inquiry.

But he says there were other breaches of law, such as the civil aviation regulations, which should also be investigated.

“So TI is calling on the appropriate authorities where there is alleged to have been breaches. Those breaches were made, then we are calling on those authorities to take the appropriate process of law under their own jurisdiction and not wait for the inquiry, and whatever happens with the inquiry.”