Polye acts while Arore fights charges

PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has appointed Treasurer Don Polye to acting minister for higher education, research, science and technology in place of David Arore.
Arore met O’Neill yesterday and asked that he be stood down from the position to concentrate on clearing his name of graft charges.
O’Neill said Arore’s decision to “cede the ministry while he fights the charges is in line with the standard I have asked the ministers to set for themselves and the office they hold on day one of us forming government”.
“Mr Arore has only been charged. He remains innocent until the charges are determined by the court. But he has done the right thing to request to be relieved of ministerial duties.
“It is fair to himself, his family and the people he represents.
“I am glad he understood my position on this issue when we spoke today.”
Polye, who is the leader of T.H.E Party, also attended the meeting.
Arore is a member of T.H.E  Party and represents the Ijivitari open electorate in Northern.
He was arrested by police in Popondetta last Saturday and charged with three counts of official corruption, treating and bribery. He appeared in court on Monday and is scheduled to reappear on April 17.
Arore said he would not comment as the matter was before the court.
He said he was on his way to distribute relief supplies worth more than K250,000 on the PNGDF CASA aircraft to affected communities in his electorate when he was arrested at the airport.