14 Dec 2009

Gunmen wound PNG chief ombudsman

1:13 pm on 14 December 2009

Unknown gunmen have shot and wounded Papua New Guinea's chief ombudsman, Chronox Manek, in what is being described as an assassination attempt outside his Port Moresby home.

The shooting occurred on Friday night and the newspaper, The National, says a bullet went through his shoulder.

Mr Manek says after shooting several times, the gunmen got back in their car and sped off, thinking he was dead.

He says he tried to follow his attackers but, feeling dizzy from loss of blood, he decided to drive to a nearby hospital.

The Police Commissioner Gari Baki says one of his senior officers visited the chief ombudsman in hospital soon after the incident.

Transparency International ranks PNG 151st out of 180 of the most corrupt countries in their annual list.

A host of other government figures, including the prime minister and the treasurer, are currently under investigation by the Ombudsman Commission.