Former minister prepared to help commission of inquiry

National
Former state enterprise and public investment minister Ben Micah (right) with his lawyer Alice Kimbu. – Nationalpic by HELEN TARAWA

By HELEN TARAWA
FORMER State Enterprise and Public Investment minister Ben Micah says he was responsible for coordinating the retirement of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) loan and would give evidence and facts at a Government inquiry.
Micah, who appeared briefly before the royal commission of inquiry into the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) loan deal yesterday, told The National that he was responsible for the IPIC loan that was used to acquire the Government equity in the PNG LNG project.
“I will tender evidence and facts and documents that I know about that relates to the decisions that were made,” he said.
“There are two issues, IPIC loan and the UBS loan, over one common denominator and that is shares in Oil Search.
“That is the common denominator that binds these two transactions.”
Micah said he was responsible for the IPIC loan with the Arabs, the UBS was another matter which he would talk about when the appropriate time came.
He said the commission had directed him to give evidence on both loans and he would put his understanding of the issues in order.
COI chairman Sir Salamo Injia directed that Micah provide to the commission written statements of the evidence he proposed to give, along with a list of documents and copies that he considered relevant to the IPIC loan and the UBS loan transactions.
Sir Salamo said the commission would issue letters of request to other witnesses, including Clement Waine, secretary for State Enterprise and Public Investments and Wasantha Kumarasiri, former managing director of Independent Public Business Corporation
The matter was adjourned to July 10.

3 comments

  • What are about the four important missing files in the parliament under the Acting clerks possession??

  • Folks just re-read this phrase: OI chairman Sir Salamo Injia directed that Micah provide to the commission written statements of the evidence he proposed to give, along with A LIST OF DOCUMENTS & COPIES THAT HE “CONSIDERED RELEVANT” to the IPIC loan and the UBS loan transactions.

    Mr COI Chairman- PNG NEEDS ALL THE DOCUMENTS INVOLVED NOT JUST SOME RELEVANT!!!!!

    Kain tok pisin tasol na ol EVIDENCE wok lo lus insait lo Parliament House- IS THIS A JOKE OR WHAT????

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