Wong to make enquiries about missing project funds

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Police Minister Jelta Wong says he will enquire with Police Comthe missioner Gari Baki and former Police Minister Robert Atiyafa about missing funds for a youth project in Eastern Highlands.
Wong said he would also ask Baki about the transfer of Kainantu Police Station commander Inspector Peter Roari when investigation was going on into an alleged misappropriation of K7.5 million for a coffee project. In addition, he said that he would enquire with Baki why the Chimbu-based mobile squad had been stood down.
Wong has requested Eastern Highlands Governor Peter Numu to provide a written complaint to him about allegations of abuse of funds for youth projects in the Barola area. He also wants Numu to write to him about the K7.5 million that was paid to Konkwa Development Agency in Kainantu in 2012. This payment was made by the National Planning Department.
Numu said that he suspected that former police minister, who is the current Henganofi MP, Robert Atiyafa, had misappropriated funds for youths in the Barola area of the Highlands Highway. Atiyafa is now also the Law Reform Commission chairman.
“There are increasing criminal activities now in the Barola area within the Kainantu and Henganofi districts along the Highlands Highway. Commuters travelling along the Highway between Lae and the Highlands province are becoming victims of holdups along the Barola area. The National Executive Council has released funds for youth projects in Barola for community projects to stop them from criminal activities. These funds were released when Atiyafa was the police minister between 2012 and 2017.”