Attorney general, judge charged

PAPAU NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea’s attorney general and Minister of Justice Ano Pala has been arrested and charged with abuse of office and misappropriating more than three million kina in public funds.

Pala was charged on Tuesday after arriving back in Port Moresby from Brisbane.

His arrest follows that of supreme court judge, Sir Bernard Sakora, a day earlier.

Pala was met at Jackson International Airport by the police fraud squad as he stepped off the plane.

He was interviewed for five hours before being charged with 15 counts of abuse of office and 15 counts of misappropriating public funds.

NCD-Central Commander Sylvester Kalaut said that like every citizen the justice minister was processed and allowed bail.

He was charged after investigations into the application of public funds earmarked for his Rigo district constituency .

National Fraud Anti-Corruption Directorate director Detective Chief Superintendant Matthew Damaru said: “He used the money for his own use, it’s not something that happened overnight, it’s an ongoing investigation and further arrests are expected to be made soon in relation to the case.”

When approached by Post-Courier immediately after he posted bail, Pala denied the charges and said he will prove his innocence in court.

One of Papua New Guinea’s most senior judges has also been arrested this week and charged with a criminal offence in relation to government payments to a law firm.

Members of the National Fraud and Anti Corruption Directorate arrested Sir Bernard as he was driving out of his home.

He was interviewed by detectives and charged with one count of judicial corruption.

A media statement said the charge emanated from a payment of 100,000 kina Sir Bernard is alleged to have received from a company owned by a lawyer at the centre of payment of legal bills to Paul Paraka Lawyers – the inquiry involving allegations against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

The statement said having received the payment, the judge failed to declare his interest and presided over cases related to payments of legal bills to Paul Paraka Lawyers.

- Post-Courier