PNG Power not able to use gensets, says Marape

The National National
Prime Minister James Marape with his lawyer McRonald Nale leaving the Waigani National Court house yesterday. – Nationalpic by MIRIAM ZARRIGA

PRIME Minister James Marape has told court that two 15-megawatt diesel turbine power generators bought from an Israeli company are not suitable for PNG Power Ltd’s use.
Marape told the Waigani National Court during a trial of Ialibu-Pangia MP and former prime minister Peter O’Neill who is charged with abuse of office over the purchase of the generators.
O’Neill is alleged to have directed a payment of K50 million through Treasury on Dec 4, 2013, to buy two 15-megawatt generators from LR Group Ltd for PNG Power Ltd.
Marape, who appeared as a State witness, told Judge David Cannings that the generators were in Lae collecting dust.
He said PNG Power had asked for K40 million from the Government to fix the generators.
Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin, who had called Marape as the State’s final witness in the trial, asked him if he was aware of the decision to buy the generators from Israel LR Group Ltd in 2013.
Marape, who was the finance minister at that time, said he was aware of processes to buy the generators in Cabinet in 2014 but not in 2013.
O’Neill’s lawyer Greg Sheppard during cross-examination showed Marape a draft Parliament Hansard dated Nov 26, 2013.
Sheppard said the Hansard contained the second and third reading of the Supplementary Appropriation Bill.
Sheppard asked Marape if this Supplementary Appropriation Bill was passed in parliament to which Marape replied: “Yes it was.”
Then Sheppard asked Marape: “Does that refresh your memory of the generators purchased in 2013?”
But Marape did not confirm and said there were a lot of numbers and appropriation bills passed at that time.
After cross-examination Marape asked the court if he could make a statement but Justice Cannings refused because Sheppard and Kaluwin had no further questions.
Kaluwin then told the court that the State had no more witnesses to call.
Last week, Kandep MP Don Polye, Petroleum Minister Kerenga Kua, former PNG Power chief executive officer John Tangit, deputy governor of Bank of Papua New Guinea Joe Teria and investigative officers from fraud unit were called as witnesses in the case.