By CHRISTOPHER YANDAWAI
ENGA Governor Sir Peter Ipatas is not moved by the actions of a learned lawyer that is currently doing a smear campaign on social media to tarnish his reputation.
He told Sunday Bulletin in an interview that he will get his lawyer to advise him on the next possible move against lawyer Laken Lepatu Aigilo’s recent public announcement on Facebook to refer him (Sir Peter) to Ombudsman Commission.
Mr Aigilo wrote on his Facebook wall last Friday announcing that Governor Sir Ipatas has been officially referred to Ombudsman Commission on allegations of misappropriating more than K1.6 billion Porgera Mine benefits belonging to the people of Porgera for the last 30 years.
The lawyer further said, although the Chief Ombudsman Commission Richard Pagen was not present to receive the complaint, his Deputy and Senior Officers who have been assigned to receive the complaint did receive it and have it registered.
Further, Mr Aigilo said his team then proceeded to National Fraud Squad & Anti-Corruption Directorate Office at Konedobu the same day (Friday) at 2pm and met with the director, however, due to the sensitivity of the case involving a national leader misappropriating billions of kina, he deferred the referral to Wednesday April 21, 2021.
Governor Ipatas while commenting on the referral announcement said Mr Aigilo has every right as a citizen to lay a complaint to the Ombudsman Commission and Police Fraud Squad, but he must do it more appropriately in private and not publicly on social media.
The governor said although he was not in rush to comment on the issue itself as he sees it to be not a new thing, he will seek legal advice on every set of laws to deal with the seriousness of what has transpired on social media as it appeared to be detrimental to his reputation.
“He has every right to lodge a complaint against me and I have a legal right to protect and defend my integrity that I built for over 40 years of being in politics,” Sir Peter said.
“For Mr Aigilo to make wide allegations against me for misappropriating more than K1.6 billion Porgea Mine benefits is all lies and rubbish. This is a childish act of a desperate person just for political convenience,” he said.
Sir Peter said for record, all royalty earnings for Porgera Mine for Provincial Government and that of landowners have been paid for and accounted for following established government processes.
“All the books for the provincial government were opened all these time for public view. Visit treasury office and check expenditure records for the last 30 years of my leadership. You will only find that I have benefited nothing, not even a single toea,” the Governor said.
“K1.6 billion is too much; please narrow it down to a toea.”