More questions surfacing after Apec

SOMETHING is definitely amiss in all these exchanges between Isaac Lupari and Chris Hawkins.
It is sad for the two gentlemen to be washing their dirty laundries in full view of the PNG people, whose monies they have had custodial oversight at all material times.
The drama that is now unfolding leaves more questions than answers in the minds of the people of this country and the world.
For example, who is telling the truth? Who should we believe? Was everything and every expenditure above board? Was the letter and spirit of the Apec Act complied with in all the dealings and transactions? We wonder who is the owner of that one hire car company that “… was not engaged by Apec Authority” but got paid more than “…K2.6m through 66 individual payments under K50, 000.00”?
Can the Authority account for all the public monies that were spent in hosting the publicity stunt?
Has there been a material shift in government policy as a direct result of hosting Apec?
A bigger question is: What real benefits have accrued to the 80% of the struggling rural populace that are dying from preventable diseases for want of basic medicine and health care, are left behind in education for want of a shelter and teacher to learn, are isolated and cut off from basic services for want of road and bridge access, etc.
All these Apec-enabling projects in NCD have been nothing but status symbols and white elephants that have contributed nothing to human development across the nation.
An expensive towering monument or monolith dedicated to history is of no use when human lives are struggling around it daily and dying every day in its shadows.
The most sensible and urgent action for the PM to take now is to put an end to this disgraceful public spectacle by suspending both gentlemen and subjecting the matter to independent scrutiny by competent and independent authorities including Ombudsman Commission.
The mandatory audit of the Apec Authority books should proceed immediately without any more political interference from any one.
The people of Papua New Guinea deserve better accountability from those entrusted with public monies and should know the truth. Over to you, PM.

Pro Bono