PRIME Minister Hon. James Marape has cautioned the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to be careful in its reporting of Papua New Guineans in relation to Australian businessman, Don Matheson, as he said this matter was now a subject of investigations.
Prime Minister Marape said the ABC’s continuous naming of Papua New Guineans, including former managing-director of PNG Ports the late Fego Kiniafa, is “now bordering on defamation”, and ABC must allow the due process of the law to take its course.
“This is old news resurfacing in a different form in Australia at ABC surrounding a Don Matheson who has been operating in Papua New Guinea for many years. From indications, Mr Matheson has had business contracts with PNG Ports dating back many years starting in 2015 or 2016.
“When these issues were brought to light here recently, we referred the matter for investigations to relevant government agencies to establish impropriety by those implicated in the ABC report.
“ABC has become culturally and morally insensitive by continuously naming a dead man in public, a man who is not here to defend himself against these accusations; whose death is a subject of a separate police investigation happening right now.
“I must warn the ABC to be careful as their news hovering and reporting is now bordering on defamation.
“I caution ABC to be mindful of these investigations, and to allow the due processes of PNG to complete. This includes the separate investigation into the murder of the late managing-director.
“ABC has a duty to comply with laws, meaning if it has evidence or substantial information, to tend this in to police or our authorities such as Kumul Consolidated Holdings who have been tasked to look into this matter,” Prime Minister Marape said.