Acting minister: Deported businessman ‘an illegal alien’

Main Stories, National
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The National, Friday 30th December 2011

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE deportation of Port Moresby businessman Graham Osborne is part of the government’s plan to get rid of “illegal aliens that are conducting illegal businesses and engaging in (local) politics”.
Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Jamie Maxtone-Graham said Prime Minister Peter O’Neill had instructed him to get rid of foreigners who had entered the country illegally, conducted illegal businesses, involved in local politics and entered corrupt deals.
He said he had a “big list” of those identified in this category who in the coming weeks would be sent packing home.
He said many small businesses reserved for nationals had been overtaken by foreigners and the welfare of the citizens and the sovereignty of the country had to be protected at all costs.
He said all foreigners who came into the country had to follow the laws and not abuse them using their status, their nationality or their business links.
He said while Osborne was chairman of the National Rugby League Bid, K2.5 million was unaccounted for.
He said Osborne was also implicated in the effort to divert K1.5 million to aid certain politicians during the political impasse.
He said the government was committed to fighting corruption and therefore its decision was not political.
“We will deport many more in the next couples of weeks as we have names of many of those illegal aliens,’’ he said.
“We have had enough of those illegal aliens and we have to take action now to protect our sovereignty and the welfare of our citizens.
“If we perceive them as a threat to the sovereignty, to the government and the citizens or induce in politics, then, we declare them as extra-non-gratia.
“This is not the end. We will go further to deport more as we have a big list of names of foreigners who should not be here in the country,” he said.