PM’s office: Report is fake news

THE Office of the Prime Minister has described as “fake news” and “shoddy journalism” a report in an overseas newspaper alleging “corrupt” activities by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.
The Guardian alleged in an article that O’Neill had won a A$32 million (K77.73 million) government contract to build bridges in the country via a process which had “serious procurement irregularities”.
Chief of Staff at the PM’s Office Eddie Mike Jondi said the article was quoting from sources who did not want to be named.
Jondi said in a statement “scandalous and defamatory articles in foreign news such as The Guardian is more of your typical grasping-
at-straws reporting that only tries to talk down the country and its leaders”.
“This is shoddy journalism, that also tries to lampoon the hosting of Apec in Papua New Guinea and denigrate partner Apec economies,” Jondi said. “It is disappointing that when a developing country such as Papua New Guinea accepts the challenge to host one of the most important forums in the world, people resort to fake news and sensationalism.”
He said the same people had been sceptical about PNG hosting Apec.
“It is our job to prove them wrong.”
He said the story about the “Golding/Wild Cat JV” was the same one trumpeted by “Opposition-backed media” before the 2017 general election and was discredited.
“You cannot deny the facts. And the facts are what this journalist failed to provide,” he said