Aimo refutes funding claims

THE Correctional Service Commissioner Richard Sikani’s trip to Europe is being funded by the International Corrections and Prisons Association (ICPS), Correctional Service Minister Tony Aimo said yesterday.
Mr Aimo also refuted allegations that CS used retirement benefit funds for a delegation which he led to China last month.
He said the China trip was budgeted for and CS never went outside of the budget and touched the retirement benefits funds.
Mr Aimo said this was his first trip as CS Minister, and the the fact-finding trip had been approved by the Ombudsman Commission.
“This was a fact-finding mission to see the kind of houses tailor-designed for PNG conditions.”
Mr Aimo said he would be presenting an information paper to cabinet for funds to buy these kit homes for CS officers.
On Mr Sikani’s trip to Geneva, Mr Aimo said Mr Sikani was chairman of the Oceania prisons board and his presence was required to represent the interest of the Pacific and Australia.
He said Mr Sikani would be presenting a paper on the types of prisons PNG had.
“The World Prisons and Infrastructure Board have invited Mr Sikani to share views and how we treat prisoners in comparison with corrections throughout the world.”
Mr Aimo said PNG prisons were built in such a way that prisoners lived in open spaces, unlike prisons throughout the world.