Agiru to probe abuse of funds

National, Normal
Source:

The National,Tuesday17 January 2012

SOUTHERN Highlands Governor Anderson Agiru has directed an investigation into alleged maladministration and unauthorised expenditure of public money in the provincial administration.
Agiru revealed his government’s action while denying that administrator SHP William Powi has been suspended.
Powi said over the weekend that Agiru’s provincial executive council had made several appointments including his own position as provincial administrator and provincial treasurer Simon Tomba.
To this Agiru said yesterday: “Powi’s crying wolf when no suspension notice has been served on him indicates that he has a guilty conscience and expects such an action.
“His outburst is childish as we have not served him any suspension notice. He might expect it and it might come but not until the proper process is satisfied.”
Agiru said a terms of reference is being finalised for an investigation into the expenditure of certain monies running into well over K10 million since Powi was appointed on an acting basis last year.
He said Powi’s acting term expired last November.
He also said that K14 million had been expended under miscellaneous items on programmes and projects that were yet to be determined whether they existed on the budget. Also, another K5 million was said to have been transferred from the provincial treasury operating account to the provincial government operating account and cheques for the amount written for, as yet, unidentified projects.
Agiru also said reports of a review of the provincial budget by the administrator would be improper and illegal as it did not carry the authority of the PEC.
The Governor also claimed that the Public Services Commission had written to inform the PEC that Powi intended running for the 2012 national general elections and that it was only proper for him to leave and play his politics away from the administration.
“This province was going nowhere and we have put it on the right track,” Agiru said. “We do not want all the gains to be derailed with politics. If Powi wants to get into politics, let him leave the public service and we can play politics to his heart’s content without disrupting the day to day operations of the provincial public service.
“As to him claiming I have no power to suspend him, I ask him to check out these two case laws – N1639 of the PNG Law Report 312 of 1997 and N25601 of PNGLR 170 of 2004. He will find that they provide me with indisputable authority.
“His own contract of employment and Section 73 (5) of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments also provide guides for the appointment process.”