Former NEC official directed to confirm information given

By HELEN TARAWA
FORMER secretary to the National Executive Council (NEC), Ilagi Veali, has been directed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Union Bank of Switzerland loan deal to confer with the commission on NEC documents submitted.
Chairman Sir Salamo Injia directed Veali, who was NEC secretary from 2012 to 2018, to confirm information provided by current secretary Grace So’on to the commission.
Sir Salamo told Veali that he would be required to look at NEC decisions recommending the head of state to enter into a contract by signing a loan agreement and a copy of that loan agreement.
“You would look for documents, including NEC decisions, recommending the head of state to enter into contract by signing a loan agreement and a copy of the loan agreement,” he said.
Veali, who appeared briefly before the commission last Wednesday, said he was NEC secretary during the time that the UBS loan was made but could not recall anything on the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) loan.
He said he needed time to confirm this as well as the information that had already been submitted.
Veali was directed to return to the commission for the next hearing today.
Meanwhile, the commission also directed Government Printer Christine Lenturut to collate all the Gazettal notices on the IPIC and UBS loans.
Sir Salamo said although Lenturut had provided all the documents required which included the instruments for the two loans she would have to go through to confirm all the information.
Lenturut said they had all the information on file so she would go through them and provide as requested by the commission.
Sir Salamo gave her a week to collate all information and return for a hearing on July 1.