Former EHP administrator refutes report

Former Eastern Highlands administrator Munare Uyassi said he was surprised of a news headline in The National in November about K9.8 million being misused in Madang and Eastern Highlands according to the Ombudsman Commission.
It was reported that the reports of the misuse in the provinces had been presented to the Clerk of Parliament by the Chief Ombudsman Michael Dick and Ombudsman Richard Pagen.
“I want to clarify on this report because in 2009 I was the administrator and the trust account referred to was operated under me,” Uyassi, pictured, said.
“I am surprised this report came out of the shelves after nearly 10 years. Surely there must be limits to tome frames under which such allegations brought about and published.
“My understanding is six years, beyond that nothing much can be done. So why this after so many years?
“I want to make it clear that I as the former administrator did not give any view or assessment of the report.
“It was entirely the work of the Ombudsman Commission and maybe a couple of officers from Eastern Highlands.”
Uyassi said OC contacted him through an advertisement for my comment which he did not provide.
“I only wrote a letter to them, telling them that I am no longer the administrator so I am out of the OC’s jurisdiction. I am a private citizen doing my own things for the past few years, so cannot respond to their queries.
“I also told them of the time limitation. Why it took them so long to come to me since the investigation was done in 2009. The report is not entirely accurate. It is deficient with legal ramifications.”