By GEORGINE MICHAEL
THE Opposition has called for transparency and accountability in the State-owned Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL).
East Sepik Governor Allan Bird also alleged that KPHL was operating outside its boundaries as a State-own business entity.
“KPHl is acting like a government and because there is no oversight, there is no transparency and accountability, they can do whatever they want because an act of parliament, (Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited Authorization Act 2015) gave them that licensee to do so,” he told a media conference yesterday.
“I have independently asked some of my friends to get the Australian Securities Information on the shareholding of this particular company that is alleged to be awarded the contracts for this construction project at Motukea Wharf in Port Moresby.
“These documents show that Mr. Wapu Sonk is the soul share holder and so it’s on the Australian record and this is a serious conflict of interest.
“With great respect to Wapu Sonk and his achievements in the petroleum industry, what has occurred is a serious conflict of interest.
“Even the Members of Parliament cannot give contracts to companies that they have direct interest in or even an indirect interest in because that would be a conflict of interest.
“Now that this has occurred, Wapu Sonk himself should do the right thing and step down. If he doesn’t then the shareholder which is the Prime Minister James Marape should take some actions against him.
“At the very least he can do is to prove himself in court that there was no conflict of interest in court in this case.
“The thing is, if it’s a private company it should be making its own money. Right now it’s just depending on the money that is coming from the PNG LNG projects and it’s my contention that the monies from the PNG LNG project rightfully belong in the Waigani Public Accounts and that money does not belong to KPHL and a change needs to be made.”
Governor Bird described the “design” of KPHL as flawed.
“It’s flawed because the design does not allow the rightful owners of KPHL, in fact the rightful owners of the money are the people of PNG.”
Deputy Opposition Leader James Donald in supporting Governor Bird, said he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee several years ago when KPHL had sought a court order to prevent the PAC from scrutinising its accounts.
“I affirm the court order obtained by KPHL to prevent us from questioning its operations leaving us with an understanding only to realize that KPHl has got its own act of Parliament that governs them isolated that it does not report to anyone,” he said.
“The issue we have with KPHL right now is, it doesn’t report to anyone, and so I affirm the statement made by governor Bird that it is the people’s money, where everyone should have a strutting over and should have account for it.”
Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriea called on Prime Minister James Marape and the KPHL board to intervene and resolve this issue.
“This is a call again to the Prime Minister to wake up, be serious and get to the bottom of this issue. Also, KPHL has got a board and the board has to protect the organisation’ s integrity and must not continue to sit and let individuals to run the organizations and not take control of the issues affecting the organisation.
“The Opposition demands accountability and transparency in Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) and calls onto the Prime minister and the KPHL Board to take this matter seriously and get to the bottom of it as it has also scrutinised the reputation of our country internationally, as well as asking for Mr Wapu Sonk to do the right thing and step down as chairman of KPHL,” Mr Tomuriesa said.
Fair call, our powerful and fearless opposition.
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