Commission urged to restore effectiveness

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
The Ombudsman Commission is not as effective as in the days when it could  refer politicians for receiving gifts, former PNG Defence Force commander and People’s Action Party founder Ted Diro, pictured, claims.
“I became the governor for Central in 1982 after the Ombudsmen Commission referred my predecessor James Mopio to the Leadership Tribunal just for receiving a suit from Hebou Construction owner late Sir  George Constantinou in the Philippines,” he said yesterday.
Mopio did not have a suit to wear to attend an official trade meeting in Manila, so Constantinou bought him one as a gift.
But the commission saw that as a breach of leadership conduct and referred him. He resigned. “These days, constitutional office-holders are getting away with offences that are far worse,” the retired Brig-Gen said.
He said back then, the commission had set the highest standards but over time, they had deteriorated.
“We need to regain that past glory and run that office in a proper ethical manner,” Diro said.
He said that the media was “a powerful voice but not very effective in PNG’’.
“In PNG, we do not really care about public opinion because we reckon that disgruntled people express their views in the media and because they have personal grudges against a leader.”