Finance director gone into hiding

 CHAIRMAN of the Public Accounts Committee, John Hickey says a separate field day will be held in parliament for the missing key figure in charge of Madang’s purse.

Hickey said during a three-day hearing earlier that acting director finance, Thomas Neruse was the “missing link” throughout the hearing to answer claims relating to discrepancies found in the 2011-12 financial statements uncovered by the Auditor General’s Office.

Neruse’s disappearance was blamed on an asthma attack, with Hickey not impressed with the excuse given by provincial administrator, Ben Lange.

“I am an asthmatic patient myself and have to have two injections a day. 

“We all have a job to do. Why is he not here to answer to these charges,”  Hickey asked.

Several issues raised were said to be created by Neruse and a selected few in the provincial headquarters.

It was revealed that some expenditure was without the approval of the provincial executive council or the Finance Department and created in the provincial government accounting system (PGAS) to expedite payments.

According to expenditure report from the PGAS, the current appropriation was K1.85 million.

It was revealed by provincial treasurer Andrew Namuesh that during his two-week break in Lae, intense lobbying was done to have him removed. A total of K1.45 million was transferred since then, leaving a balance of K447,800.