Bougainville's Momis now under fire over BCL share claims

6:58 pm on 22 August 2016

The MP for Central Bougainville says John Momis's claims about the Bougainville Copper Ltd shares gifted to landowners are illogical.

Bougainville's Panguna Copper mine

Bougainville's Panguna Copper mine Photo: Supplied

Last week the PNG Prime Minister Peter O'Neill announced shares in BCL that his government had been gifted by Rio Tinto would be passed on to the landowners and people of Bougainville.

This aroused the ire of Bougainville President John Momis who says they should have gone to his Autonomous Bougainville Government.

He also said Mr O'Neill is undermining the peace process.

But the Central Bougainville MP and PNG Communcations Minister, Jimmy Miningtoro, said the president's attack was illogical and it is Mr Momis who is undermining the peace process.

He claimed both governments had agreed to the gifting move.

Now what happened I think is there was a general consensus that was reached - the distribution of shares has all been agreed by both parties. Now after that meeting the President was going against the decision that I think they had agreed to make.

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