Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Oro governor defends PNG funds transfers into his account

Posted at 02:16 on 18 January, 2008 UTC

The governor of Oro province in Papua New Guinean has denied any wrongdoing after public funds were deposited into his private bank account.

A District Support Grant totalling 80,000 US dollars went into the personal account of the governor, Pastor Suckling Tamanabae.

The Post Courier newspaper says the cheque was drawn four days before Christmas from the treasury office in the provincial capital Popondetta and deposited the next day in Kimbe in West New Britain Province.

Mr Tamanabae has denied any wrongdoing and called for an investigation into why the grant from the central government’s Rural Development office ended up in his bank account.

Mr Tamanabae is also a national MP for Oro which was hit by serious flooding late last year.