Crime workshop bars media

 By JUNIOR UKAHA

The media was told that certain segments of the “proceed of crime” workshop are confidential and they are not allowed to attend.

The National was told to stay out for an hour yesterday by the facilitators of the workshop who said that “real case studies” involving theft of large sums of money would be discussed for a particular session.

“I would appreciate it if you (media) could stay out for a while as I will be discussing with the participants a real case in PNG,” workshop facilitator Michael Petty said.

When The National asked if the media would stay in through the session without taking notes, it was told that would not be welcomed as the information that would be presented was not for public knowledge. 

“I am not allowed to give information to the media about the workshop and the right person to speak to is Bernard Barrum of the police fraud investigative unit (FIU),” Petty added. 

Barrum, however, was unavailable yesterday, but told The National on Monday that the aim of the workshop was to equip and empower fraud investigation officers from various government departments with new techniques on how to fight white collar crimes involving large sums of money. 

He said the workshop facilitators were advisers from the anti-money laundering assistant team (Amlat) of the department of attorney-general of Australia who were co-facilitating the workshop with FIU to impart new methods of investigations to deter and arrest perpetrators of sophisticated crime. 

It was understood that the workshop was the first of its kind involving frontline government agencies and members of financial institutions responsible for addressing cases of fraud and money laundering. 

Acting deputy police commissioner, Fred Yakasa, who opened the workshop on Monday, said that Papua New Guinea loses about 50% (K4 billion) annually through fraud and that the participants of the “proceed of crime” workshop must take on a new approach in investigating high profile crimes instead of the traditional process of arresting, charging and prosecuting. 

The one week workshop covered topics such as proceed of crime legislations, investigation planning, affidavit drafting and case studies of real white collar crimes in the Pacific andwill end today.