Police drop investigation into Manumanu land deal

POLICE investigations into the payment of K46.6 million for a portion of land outside Port Moresby has been dropped, according to Commissioner Gari Baki.
Baki, pictured, last night said it had taken the police fraud team since February a year to investigate the Manumanu land deal.
Baki said the two Cabinet Ministers implicated – William Duma and Dr Fabian Pok – were informed that they had been cleared of the allegations against them, as per the recommendation of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate.
Baki has also sent a letter to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the complainant, Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) chairman Paul Nerau, informing them of the fraud squad’s recommendations. Baki said the police fraud squad had found no merit in any complaint, and that there also was no evidence to substantiate the fraud allegation.
Police also concluded that the payment of the K46.6 million by KCH to KEL was in compliance with processes and procedures, and that there was no evidence to suggest it was fraudulent. The fraud squad also ruled out any conspiracy between ministers and employees of the state in respective government agencies involved in the process.
The fraud squad also recommended that the matter had no merit for further investigations and that it be closed.