Pato: Uni K2m cleared

 By MALUM NALU

THE K2 million Prime Minister Peter O’Neill gave to (former) Evangelical Lutheran Church head bishop Giegere Wenge in 2011 has been accounted for, it has been clarified.

The amount was for the setting up of the Lutheran University in Lae.

Lutheran University of PNG Establishment Committee chairman Rimbink Pato said it was part of the K15m that had been accounted for and was reported to the synod and church council on several occasions.

He said the university received Government funding of K15m up to Sept 2011, all of which had been accounted for.

But according to church documents, Pato’s committee used more than K22m which had not been accounted for. O’Neill gave a cheque for K2m  to Wenge for the development of the university at the national pastors conference in Port Moresby on Sept 29, 2011.

According to ELC-PNG documents obtained by The National, the K2m was not released to the church, through its LUPNG interim council which took over from Pato’s committee.

“The LUPNG interim council has not received nor utilised any monies from the Government. A donation of K2m presented in 2011 (by O’Neill) was never released to the LUPNG interim committee nor was it received by the ELC-PNG,” the report said.