Approved for Release- Office of the Prime Minister
PRIME Minister Hon. James Marape has labeled Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill a “serial liar” following his latest false claim that the Prime Minister directed the Chinese Government to pay K50 million directly to provinces and districts. This statement was made today in response to allegations by O’Neill that appeared on the front page of The National newspaper.
Prime Minister Marape also challenged O’Neill to account for the K70 million he received from the Chinese Government during his tenure as Prime Minister.
“I never directed the Chinese Government to pay K50 million directly to provinces and districts as ‘serial liar’ Peter O’Neill would like PNG to believe,” Prime Minister Marape said.
“If he is up to date with international relations, as he, as a former Prime Minister, should be, he would know that China made available the K50 million grant following my attendance at the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing and my meeting with Chinese President H.E. Xi Jinping last October.
“This process was conducted openly and transparently, fully adhering to the established
diplomatic practices that have long guided our nation’s foreign relations. China has consistently backed Papua New Guinea’s development initiatives, and this grant is a further extension of that ongoing partnership. Any insinuation that this support is linked to political manipulation is a serious distortion of the truth by a well-known ‘serial liar’ and highly disingenuous.”
Prime Minister Marape expressed his frustration with O’Neill’s misleading accusations and their negative impact on the nation’s leadership and international relationships.
“I am compelled to address the recent misleading and deeply hypocritical accusations made by O’Neill concerning the K50 million grant from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
His claims are not only baseless but also detrimental to the integrity of our nation’s leadership and our important international relationships.”
“O’Neill’s insinuation that these funds are anything other than a sincere effort to uplift our
communities is a direct insult to the provinces and districts that stand to benefit from this grant,” the Prime Minister added.
Prime Minister Marape further challenged O’Neill to account for the K70 million he received from the Chinese Government while he was Prime Minister.
“Let’s not forget that when O’Neill was Prime Minister, he secured a K70 million grant from the Chinese government during a similar state visit. Where did that money end up? It was funneled entirely into his own electorate, Ialibu-Pangia, neglecting the rest of the country.
Now, he has the audacity to criticise me for distributing the K50 million grant equitably across multiple provinces and districts. This is the epitome of hypocrisy, and the people of Papua New Guinea deserve better than such double standards from a former Prime Minister.”
Prime Minister Marape concluded by issuing a strong apology to the Government of the
People’s Republic of China and its people for the unfounded accusations spread by O’Neill.
“His statements in no way represent the position of the Government of Papua New Guinea or the values of our people. We are unwavering in our commitment to maintaining a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with China, and we will continue to collaborate in a spirit of cooperation and respect.”
