20 Jan 2015

Third PNG MP jailed for corruption

8:13 am on 20 January 2015

Another Papua New Guinea MP has been jailed for misappropriation of public money

The Komo-Magarima MP, Francis Potape, was sentenced to two and half years in prison with hard labour.

PNG Loop reports that after being handed down his sentence by Deputy Chief Justice Gibbs Salika, Potape was transferred to Bomana Prison outside Port Moresby.

Bomana Correctional Facility, Papua New Guinea

Bomana Correctional Facility, Papua New Guinea Photo: RNZI / Johnny Blades

Potape was convicted in October after it was found that a joint district planning and budget priorities committee meeting he chaired had conspired and misappropriated more than US$100,000.

He is the third MP in this term of Parliament who has been sentenced for public corruption.

Two other MPs sentenced earlier were Paul Tiensten from Pomio, and Havila Kavo, the MP for Gulf Regional.

Tiensten is serving a nine-year sentence in Bomana, and Kavo is out on bail awaiting his appeal before the Supreme Court.