PNG anti-fraud unit homes in on PM

Transcript

Papua New Guinea's anti-fraud and corruption unit has been homing in on the country's Prime Minister in its battle to investigate high-level corruption.

A Supreme Court judge and a lawyer representing the Secretary of Treasury as well as Peter O'Neill were arrested yesterday in Port Moresby.

It's the latest development in a corruption scandal that has threatened the prime minister since 2014.

Alex Perrottet spoke to the unit's Chief Superintendent, Matthew Damaru, who says Judge Bernard Sakora received a payment from a lawyer linked to Paul Paraka lawyers, at the time that he was presiding over the case.

MATTHEW DAMARU: Yes he received a payment of 100,000 kina, from a company that is associated and connected to Paul Paraka lawyers.

ALEX PERROTTET: And this being the firm that was alleged to have,

MD: Yes, they are at the centre of the payment of the legal bills.

AP: From the Government, to the order of about $30 million US dollars.

MD: Yes.

AP: And we have this decision, last week, basically the Supreme Court decided that the path to arresting the Prime Minister is open, that the stay order is not there, but at the same there's a secondary, I suppose procedural matter regarding legal fees, which I guess prevents the Prime Minister from being arrested, until that is settled - is that the case?

MD: Yes, yes, there's one more case and that case prevents us from arresting the Prime Minister. The judge has given him leave to appeal the decision made by the one-man Supreme Court, so it will depend on when that appeal will be heard and determined, and then we can progress with the Prime Minister's case.

AP: And you're confident, on behalf of the police, that you do have substantial evidence, proving that the Prime Minister has been involved, since 2014, or before, when the original arrest warrant was issued in this case involving Paul Paraka lawyers?

MD: Yes, we have evidence, we wouldn't have just got a warrant for the sake of getting a warrant.

AP: And the other arrest yesterday was the lawyer, Tiffany Twivey, who represents the Prime Minister, but she was arrested yesterday I believe in relation to her client, the Secretary of Treasury. Could you explain to me what's being alleged there?

MD: Yes, well she took steps to prevent the arrest against the Secretary of Treasury, Mr Daire Vele, and since last year, it's almost one year now, she has not prosecuted the matter and the case has now been kept adjourning we don't know when there's an end to all the adjournments, and that is seen as an attempt to pervert the course of justice.

AP: In a sense, with all the ups and downs of this case over the last two to three years, we've seen people come in and out of the police, we've seen Geoffrey Vaki go behind bars, you yourself have been a bit of a survivor here, you've been assaulted yourself by someone in relation to the case. What sort of fears do you still harbour for your own well- being as this case gets closer and closer to the Prime Minister?

MD: Well there's a concern for the welfare, not myself only but all the detectives that I work with but we trust in God to take care of us and protect us because we are standing up for what is right.