Trip to Rome was not holiday, says ToBaining

By ABIGAIL APINA
EAST New Britain Governor Ereman ToBaining says he was on national duty when he visited Rome, Italy, last month.
ToBaining made the comment in response to people in the province who questioned his trip.
In a statement on Monday, he said he was not on “holiday” as some people had claimed.
He said his appointment as the deputy chairman of the legislature and law and order committee, set up by the national parliament, saw him accompanying Police Minister Nixon Duban to Rome.
ToBaining said the trip was funded by the national government and the head of Interpol, the international police organisation based in Paris that coordinated investigations by the police forces of member countries into cross border crimes.
He said it was during that visit that a memorandum of understanding was signed between Interpol and the Papua New Guinea government represented by Duban and himself.
He said that would pave the way for PNG police investigators to be engaged on international duties.
“The MoU now enables the PNG police investigators to be exposed globally to investigative duties within the areas of drugs and human trafficking, terrorism and other illegal activities,” he said.
He said police investigators would be appointed by Interpol, PNG police authorities and the national government.
“This is a credit for PNG,” he said.
ToBaining said at the same time, the trip was a bonus for the province since he visited Pope Benedict II and acknowledged the Catholic church for providing education and health services and spiritual development in the province.