THE mandated legitimate leaders for the Community Mine Continuation Agreement (CMCA) Trust Region in Western province have backed the police investigations into the alleged misappropriation and stealing of K268 million CMCA funds.
“We fully support the investigations and urge the investigation team headed by Police Commissioner David Manning to continue with its investigation and bring the Management, Secretary and Directors of the purported entity, Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Limited to justice.
“They must be prosecuted for the significant crime that they have committed against the will of 148,000 people of CMCA Communities,” the CMCA leaders said in a joint statement today.
“The Trust Funds belong to 148,000 people who come from the 158 villages along the CMCA Corridor in Western province, and are purposely set aside to bring development projects by Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) as our only recognized service delivery vehicle,” the leaders clarified.
“But we are deeply concerned to hear that K268 millions of our Trust Funds were misappropriated and stolen by a company called Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Limited which we never endorsed.
The leaders claimed that “there is no evidence of any development projects delivered from these funds and OTFRDF needs to tell the 148,000 people from the CMCA Communities what they did with these huge sums of money”.
“The Trust Funds are meant for large scale livelihood development projects that impact the wider CMCA corridor. OTFRDF does not have any office, employees or assets on the ground in Western province, and to our knowledge, no reports on how they have used the Trust Funds were provided to the Fly River Provincial Government and the CMCA communities and we are concerned that our monies have been misused and stolen by OTFRDF.
“We know that OTDF was our only company that can access the Trust Funds sitting in the Trust Account at ANZ Bank and brings tangible livelihood development services to our CMCA Communities but that has not been happening.
“We would like to also clarify that we the leaders of CMCA Communities never authorized the Management, Secretary and or Board of Directors Chaired by Pastor Steven Bagari of Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Limited to access these WPPDTF Funds sitting with ANZ Bank. Also, none of them are appointed as current leaders of the CMCA Communities.
If the alleged misappropriation has taken place they must be prosecuted for stealing potentially millions of kina belonging to each and every community member of the CMCA,” the leaders said.
They thanked Commissioner Manning and his police detectives who are currently investigating the alleged misappropriation and stealing of Western province People’s Dividends CMCA Trust Funds.
“We also would like to thank our Good Honorable Member for North Fly Electorate, James Donald, MP, for lodging this complaint with the Office of Commissioner of Police.”
On behalf of the 148,000 people of CMCA Communities, the leaders further clarified that they had never appointed Young & Williams Lawyers to represent them in Court against the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.
“Our Trust Funds are managed by the State through its Board of Trustees Chaired by Secretary for Department of Mineral Policy & Geohazard Management.
“Young & Williams Lawyers must come out in public and tell the 148,000 people of CMCA Communities who engaged its services and provide details on how it had used the K52 Million which were reported to be deposited into its Trust Account as this is a lot of money for legal fees.
“We would like to warn Young & Williams Lawyers to cease taking directions from the illegal entity called Ok Tedi Fly River Development Limited as it does not represent the interests of 148,000 people of CMCA Communities,” the leaders said.
They also appealed to the Secretary Samson Jubi who is based in Cairns, Australia, Chairman Steven Bagari and other Directors of Ok Tedi Fly River Development Foundation Limited who are hiding in Western Province to come forward and cooperate with the Police in its investigations.
Return this K268 million in full to the people and arrest and send all directors of that illegal entity including Greg Sheppard of Young and Williams Lawyers. Revoke the legal trading license of Young and Williams Lawyers and send them packing to Bomana with them. PNG does not need this corrupt legal firm and their corrupt lawyers and clients.
Enough of this legal firm stealing millions of kinas belonging to the people of PNG through illegal means such as this. Let’s take back what belongs to the people, Take Back PNG!!