17 Mar 2005

Nauru Government backs probe, but sees more urgent issues

9:09 pm on 17 March 2005

Nauru's Government says it wants to get to the bottom of how the country lost most of its wealth, but it has more pressing problems and a financial probe will take time.

Australia early this month issued an assurance that its financial advisers on Nauru were looking into how former Nauru administrations lost many millions of dollars.

This followed a call by Australian Emeritus Professor Helen Hughes that a forensic accountacy probe be conducted before funds are returned to Nauru following asset sales.

The Nauru Finance Minister, David Adeang, says the new Government in Nauru is committed to this analysis, but has day-to-day issues, including hungry people, to deal with.

"We have people who are still going hungry. And you know, investigating anti-corruption activities, possibly it does not contribute immediately to helping us put food on the table for the many hundreds, possibly thousands of people who are still going without significant amounts of salary here. But it is all part of our reform activities."

David Adeang.