20 Dec 2004

Sacked PNG Telikom chairman still waiting for minister to reinstate board

7:04 pm on 20 December 2004

The sacked chairman of Telikom Papua New Guinea, Dr Florian Gubon, has accused the State Enterprises Minister of running a campaign to discredit him and his board.

Earlier this month the Minister, Dr Puka Temu, sacked the board for opposing the proposed partial sale of Telikom to the Econet-Altech consortium.

The sale has now been shelved and the Prime Minister has instructed Dr Temu to reinstate the board, something he still hasn't done.

Meanwhile, the Post Courier reports that a contract for cleaning services at a Telikom office is among a list of contracts being investigated.

Dr Gubon says proponents of the shelved Telikom sale proposal are using the local media to apply pressure on the sacked board.

"Some sort of witch-hunt to try and discredit my board as well and putting a lot of my directors under a lot of unnecessary pressure. Not that we have done anything wrong or we fear an investigation, but for the minister to use this type of trying to discredit the board so that he can convince the Prime Minister or other people that we shouldn't be reinstated, I feel that's a very unfair action."

Dr Florian Gubon says he challenges his detractors to take him to the law society to prove that he has broken any rules.