PM: Illegal money carrier will be prosecuted here

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday February 20th, 2014

 PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has assured citizens that the American citizen caught bringing in illegal money into the country will be dealt with according to the laws of the country.

“We understand now it was an American citizen who travelled through Philippines to be here, and of course he brought it in illegally,” he said.

“Those funds have got no legal standing in PNG and as such no legal standing in Bougainville.

“It is printed to satisfy a self-proclaimed king that is locked up somewhere in Siwai.”

O’Neill said the Customs Commissioner had issued a statement saying that he would prosecute the matter in court. 

“The American citizen has been arrested, he will appear before the courts and certainly, he will be tried according to our laws,” he said. 

O’Neill said the incident highlighted the need for the Government to be more involved in Bougainville.

“We have seen from past experiences that there has been a lot of fly-in fly-out businessmen and women who are after quick earning and getting into Bougainville and misleading our people,” he said. 

Barry Keith Webb, an American citizen, was caught by Customs officials having in his possession an illegal currency totalling K1.6 million of the Central Bank of Bougainville, Kingdom of Papaala.

He arrived in Port Moresby at around 5am last Saturday on an Air Nuigini flight from Manilla. 

He was carrying a briefcase full of this illegal notes. 

He was detained for questioning after an X-ray scan on the case revealed it contained what appeared to be a huge amount of cash. He is now locked at the Boroko police station.