Thursday, October 24 2024
FOUNDER and Owner of the Construct Oceanic Limited (COL), Mr Sape Molumi, has dismissed numerous social media allegations regarding the company’s alleged failure to meet public expectations and claims of mismanagement of funds.
Mr Molumi expressed his openness to both criticism and suggestions from all individuals, including elected leaders and community leaders.
He clarified that the COL has contracts with the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, established through the standard procurement process and signed by the Head of State.
Mr Molumi said the contracts explicitly stipulate that payments for completed work must be made on a monthly basis to maintain the work; any delay in payment significantly impact the operations.
“We are not a charity; we are a business that pays its employees, taxes, creditors, leases, loans, sub-contractors, and more, with monthly operational costs exceeding K3.4 million,” Molumi expressed.
“As the founder of Construct Oceanic Ltd, I oversee a workforce of over 1, 000 employees, 99% of whom are local Papua New Guineans.”
Molumi noted that investigations conducted by the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Unit found no evidence of wrongdoing, as all projects currently under scrutiny are active and reliant on adequate funding for their completion.
He also said one cannot investigate a project while it’s still in progress, unless funds are misappropriated.
Pointing out as an example, Molumi said certified payments for the Mendi Nipa Project, specifically IPC 14 to 17, have remained unpaid since February 2024.
“We (COL) requested a stand-down in June 2024, and the project is still suspended, awaiting these payments before work can resume; contractually, we are justified in this action,” he said.
Regarding the stadium projects, financed by the government from 2019 to 2023 with K34 million, Mr Molumi stated that 80% of the work has been completed, yet the government, through the Sports Foundation and Southern Highlands Provincial Government, still owes COL over K13 million, as verified against the completed work.
“To finish this project, we need the outstanding balance to be paid so we can reassess and complete the remaining tasks,” he said.
Mr. Molumi asserted that COL has faced a barrage of complaints and false accusations from individuals with vested interests, whether driven by jealousy, political differences, or competition.
To support his statement, he provided the following evidence: a notice from COL lawyers to the State for outstanding payments from the Department of Works, valued at K46 million; a notice regarding outstanding payments for Stadium Construction; a clearance for payment from the State Solicitor; and a clearance letter from the Fraud and Anti-Corruption Unit addressing various allegations raised by concerned citizens.
