Media praised for exposing corruption

LANDOWNERS in Chimbu have commended the media for bringing to light alleged corruption in the contract and payment for the Highlands Highway Rehabilitation Programme.
The landowners, through their Highlands Highway Landowners Association, condemned Works Secretary Joel Luma’s attack on the media in a full page advertisement in The National on Tuesday.
Association general secretary Kinstone Womai said the media did their part by exposing corruption based on hard evidence provided to them by the association.
Womai said for a person like Luma to attack media “is uncalled for and very childish”.
He asked Luma to tell the people of Chimbu, especially the landowners, how Mori Resource was awarded the contract.
He said from the signed ministerial pre-commitment letter written by then Works Minister Don Polye dated Feb 2, 2009, the initial contract was awarded to Homeland Joint Venture.
He said instead the contract was given to  Wera Mori, the principal of Mori Resource Ltd, through a minor brief.
Womai said Luma and Mori signed the contract agreement on March 19, 2009, value of K288,875.40.
He said the manner in which the contract was awarded to Homeland Joint Venture’s sub-contractor was questionable.
Womai said from the documents he had Mori Resource Ltd had not got the contract through a ministerial pre-commitment nor had it applied through the Central Supplies Tenders Board bidding process.
He said as far as the landowners were concerned the contract was never awarded through the two main existing systems.
Womai said for Luma to say in the media that the contract was legally binding between State and contractor was misleading and not true.
He said for Luma to say in his paid advertisement that the Works and Transport Minister agreed that Mori Resource would continue and concluded the payment “is totally false and a misleading statement”.
Womai said two letters written by Works and Transport Minister Francis Awesa to Luma and provincial administrator Joe Kunda Naur on Nov 23 and Dec 9, 2011, respectively, clearly stated that he had terminated the contract of Mori Resource Ltd.
In another letter dated Dec 8, 2011, Awesa said the contract had been awarded to Skyco System. Part of that letter reads: “This is to inform you that the Department of Works is to immediately facilitate the necessaet instruments and mobilization funds to effect the deployment of Skyco System PNG Ltd to start work on site for HHRP beginning in Chimbu as per his direction of Nov 30, 2011.”
Womai said Luma’s statement contradicted the directive given by the minister responsible for the department.
 as he had clearly stated in his media statement that he had the right to terminate the contract.
He said the landowners did not understand why Luma had not followed the directive given by the minister.