Police reopen K46.6m land probe

The National Main Stories

POLICE have reopened investigation into the K46.6 million Manumanu land case after discovering that the value of the land in question in Central had allegedly been inflated.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Crime Hodges Ette said a lands department officer had been arrested over the matter. He expects more officers to be arrested this week.
“The suspect is accused of inflating the value of Portions 406, 422, 423 and 154 in the Kairuku district of Central to relocate the Defence Force institutions such as the naval base and Taurama and Murray Barracks too,” ACP Ette said.
“The suspect has been charged with abuse of office, forgery, uttering false documents, corruption and stealing by false pretence.
“He is now out on K3,000 bail and expected to appear before the Waigani District Court next week.”
Ette said they were conducting a criminal investigation after the completion of the Ombudsman Commission investigation and the inquiry ordered by former prime minister Peter O’Neill.
“This suspect was accused of inflating the value of the land to K46.6 million when there were no developments of any business, agriculture or infrastructure on those land portions.
“He (allegedly misled) the State to commit the Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) to buy those land portions for K46.6 million from Kurkuramb Estates Limited (KEL).”
Former police commissioner Gari Baki on Aug 29, 2018 announced the end of police investigations into the Manumanu land case which began in February, 2018.
Baki said two cabinet ministers implicated in the case 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 also informed then Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the complainant, KCH chairman Paul Nerau, of the fraud squad’s recommendations.
Baki said the police fraud squad had found no merit in the 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 ruled out any conspiracy between ministers and employees of the State involved in the process.

22 comments

    • The author of take back PNG, the current PM was finance minister when this transaction took place. You must be joking mate

  • Arrest the former Police Com. GB. He is the most corrupted Police Com. in the history of PNG Constabulary. Preventing justice to prevail by protecting PO from being arrested during is term as a Police Com., covering up by closing up the manu manu land deal, his case of contempt of court plus some other of his con business be reopened and let the justice take its course. Investigate him and throw him into the jail, please.

  • All crooked deals will expose themselves & Manumanu land deal is one such gigantic crooked deal orchestrated by the two Ministers in government at that time. Check the Chairman of CSTB at that time too.

    • The two ministers you are referring to are now in the current Government now. One is a Minister. How’s that for fighting corruption!

  • Extend the investigation to cover all lands sales by employees from the department of lands. They are even selling our customary land across the country. What right do these officers have to sell customary land to unethical foreigners without consultation with original LO?

  • We need more of these rotten business to be dug up, and investigated again, properly! This is good news for PNG

  • There is more to come if all the departments are doing the same as Police Dept. is doing. Corruption is everywhere in the government system. To Take Back PNG, this is the start. The top bureaucrats will always try to defend themselves. Reveal the truth to the people of PNG and stop defending – the former Police Commissioner!

  • Way to go! I suggest investigating the existing police personnel first, decommission them and clear the way for further investigations into the government departments. That’s what happened in the Philippines. A new dawn for png in a long time

  • Corruption is rampant in PNG and it will continue to grow just like every other resource-rich developing nation around the world. Politicians, Top-level bureaucrats in the government sectors will continue to want to crab from the less represented citizens of this country. Expatriates and Business houses will continue to use the system of law headed by crooked law enforcers/leaders to gain without due consideration for people and the future of the country. Therefore, TAKE BACK PNG should first of all look at the Penalties to be implemented. My strongest view is, “any public servant or for that matter, anybody found guilty of deals involving large sums of money should stand to lose his/her entitlement in the public service or business restricted from operating in the country. This should drive some sense into those who intentionally like to defraud the state and its people. I stand to be corrected for this thought.

  • That lands officer was clearly under the direction of some big “fish” so that he could take his cut in the deal. This matter needs investigation to uncover the rot within the PNGDF, KHCL, Lands Dept., Police and any other orgs or individuals associated with the sale of this land. The past two ministers were “gang-leaders” in this crooked deal to benefit themselves!

  • GB is a snake in the grass..lots of abuse of powers and alluding with so called Ministers to steal land and money

  • For all those sick minded and corrupt people, the long arm of the law is finally catching up with you.
    Don’t think that you guys will go on doing your dirty and corrupt deals indefinitely. Your days are now numbered.

    Finally God will judge you on your death bed.

    For those who are fighting corruption, fear no men because God is on your side. All the people of this country will be praying for you.

  • How could this big deal would involve only one officer in the department? dig out further the investigation. Big fish are still hiding and swimming in the pool.

  • Such a bad precedence established by the top bearcats! Why protecting robbers while getting hard on the us poor people, there is no justice, PNG systems are being destroyed already by the Rich/Intellects!

  • PNG belongs to God and all persons involved in making the people of PNG suffer will not live long. the empires they build for themselves and their families will collapse and their children down to the third generation are under God’s curse.

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