PRIME Minister Hon James Marape says the Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the K722 million Sale and Purchase of Motukea Wharf in Port Moresby is part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that processes and procedures that are in place are observed in such major transactions.
He also announced that the Government had taken steps to enforce recommendations of the previous COI into the controversial Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) loan taken by former prime minister Peter O’Neill.
PM Marape said this on Tuesday after handing his affidavit to the Motukea COI in Port Moresby.
“The COI into the Motukea Wharf was established to inquire into and report whether or not any law or constitutional requirements were breached in the negotiation and subsequent approval on the relocation of the Port Moresby Wharf and acquisition of the Motukea Wharf,” PM Marape said.
“This COI will reveal individuals and entities who have taken part in the process of selling and purchasing the Motukea Wharf at a value of K722, 227, 000. Those implicated, if any, by the COI will face the full extent of the law. That includes myself. “
PM Marape said this approach had been taken by his Government with the Royal Commission Inquiry into Processes and Procedures followed by the Government of PNG Into Obtaining the Off-Shore Loan from the Union Bank of Switzerland and Related Transactions (UBS Loan Inquiry).
“I want to assure the people that we have taken steps to enforce the recommendations of the Commission and are in the process of engaging lawyers to advise the Government on the best way to implement the recommendations of the UBS Loan Inquiry,” he said.
“These include taking legal action against those implicated in the UBS Loan Inquiry, and seeking restitution for the loss of revenue to our country from institutions like the Union Bank of Switzerland and others.
“These inquiries into suspicious and dubious dealings by high-level Government officials and various institutions are important as we hope they will help us to improve our systems and processes.
“As such, we intend to utilise the findings and recommendations from the UBS Loan and Motukea dealings to set an example that the laws of this country apply to everyone, and that these recommendations will not collect dust.”
