By PNG Echo.
Sir Michael Somare claims he has never received illegal payments. Oh, really?
The Community Colleges rort – and the proof of the pudding…
On 16th August 2010, the then Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, Sir Michael Somare, received the sum of $US280,000 into his personal account (#0374026963) at the Scott’s Mall branch of the Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, drawn on the account of M/S Questzone Offshore Limited (“Questzone”). See below.
Then, on the 1st September 2010, Somare received a further $US 280,000 into the same personal account from the same drawer. See below.
Finally, on the 12th November 2010, he also received a further sum of $US 224,000 from the same drawer into his personal account. See Below
Each of these annexures have the full tracing details endorsed by the bank on the copies produced here, so there can be no denying the funds were received by him.
I am told Sir Michael spent some of the money paying the builder of his Wewak residence and the rest has been frozen in this account (I believe the residual is around $300,000)
The enormity of this crime cannot be underestimated. I am reliably informed that it is the most serious “white collar” crime on the statute books and carries a term of imprisonment of 25 years in prison.
Furthermore, under oath before a Leadership Tribunal in 2010, Somare was required to disclose all of his bank accounts and other assets. He failed to disclose his Singapore account, and consequently perjured himself.
This account was not disclosed in his Leadership returns for 2010 or any other year subsequently, which constitutes a serial breaching of the Leadership Code.
Somare also failed to disclose this income to the Internal Revenue Commission, which is a fraud.
Excellent piece of infor. The whole of PNG needs to know this…
WOW!!!!! And the fellow has denied receiving the money again, last week. WOW!!!
Excellent reporting, anything about those who received over $USD 100 million as kick backs?
All his good reputation goes down the drain
He was never a reputable leader and now the evidence is clear for all to see. It is a great shame for a man known as the father of this nation and for all Papua new Guineans. People live and die, what a way to pass out.
Wow grand Chief of Thief.
Penalty, Punishment.
Wow! The ‘Father of the Nation’…take a bow and look at what you just did. Looks like an unceremonious ending to your otherwise colorful career.
Good info. Thanks. So why are we (PNG) waiting for? What more evidence do we need to prosecute this old man? I see that we have enough info to prosecute this thief. And recover all these money and send him to Bomana. What the f**k are we having for?
Is he going to face the consequence of that crime? Or live him along cause he is known as a father of nation.
I have been waiting, for quite a few years for someone,far more au fait with the relevant researching expertise than I, to write a series of articles on how the entity known as “Damai” which was originally set up as the business arm of the PANGU Pati in the late 1970’s has appeared to morph into a private family company .
This is just another act of the Nature of mans involvement in lawlessness.
He had been doing this for a long time. In the 1990’s when Damai Pty Ltd built Somare Foundation Haus, part of the funding from the Taiwanese ” Bank of Communication” included a payment to him of $US 1,000,000 paid in Singapore and brought into PNG in cash, half by the Chief himself and half by Ian Fleming, his then adviser.
About time the myth of Somare as a statesman is shown to be false. He should not be regarded as the father of the nation but as the father of corruption. This article shows how hopeless institutions such as the Central Bank, the Police, the Ombudsman Commission and Task Force Sweep have been. This matter has been well know for some time because of the court case in Singapore against Dorhman and his wife but no-one has done anything about it. Bring on the ICAC asap AND give it the money it needs AND get good people to run it.
Do i have to really trust a politicians???? The simply answer is NO!!
My goodness, all these should be reported & justice should take place.
Mad
Good Info. Very shameful indeed. Is this a reflection of a good leader who has been highly praised as a founding father of this Christian nation? Such corrupt deal shows the real weakness in the set existing mechanisms.. The set processes, procedures and the institutions that were established to administer and monitor those set processes and procedures are not really effective in terms of identifying possible trends to corrupt outcome, careful screening and processing..
Nothing wrong with the mechanisms in place, Isaac, they are just not being effectively used, for a number of reasons which have nothing really to do with the way they are structured, but everything to do with how they are administered.
Yes, on that note, the mechanism is already in place. Each state party should take measures in accordance with the fundamental principles of its domestic law to prevent corruption, enhance accounting & auditing standards and where appropriate, provide effective and dissuasive civil, administrative or criminal penalties for failure to comply with such measures.
This may be just the tip of an Iceberg
there we go!!! no wonder PNG has been crawling in the last 40 years in terms of development.
Great piece! The old man had everything going on for him, I mean the world was under his feet at one stage or two so what could he be so desperate for, to have picked up a few lousy six figure checks? Sure you could be a millionaire when these are converted into Kina, but only for a night. The crux of the matter is this: In just one night he lost all his grace and the endearment that has warmed the hearts of thousands if not millions of ordinary PNG folk. But you know PNG folk, love and respect for a senior is thicker than money…younger, educated generations will think differently from their parents and bubus…knowing the truth does not always set everyone free, I guess.
What a shame old man? What would leaders of other countries think of PNG’s justice system when evidences of corruptions are revealed and presented and our justice is not quick enough to deal with it? In PNG, big name people like politicians and CEOs are very slow to bring them justice, some even escape fair justice, then little thief who steals K10.00 to buy a packet of rice and tin fish.
Sorry stret PNG
It should never matter who or how much they take. It is still called stealing. Am so proud be a Papua New Guinean but its shameful when someone says to you overseas as soon you say you’re from PNG!! * Oh you from the country where Politician steal public money?* I felt like melting but responsed with pride and said, you’ve only heard of the 1% and the 99% of the country people are good people, you’ll never relate.
The grand thief has been hiding behind his political status and have reaped this nation off while the blind in the Sepik kept on getting him into parliament to steal more for himself and his family whilst the children of the Sepik have been left far behind on a many development fronts. If he is still running around free right now after all this news; I’ll be darned !!
Okay…you have gotten the old man…why dont the writer do the same (investigate) the current “big fish” who have plundered the nations coffers and is now crippled to the brink of collapse. After all Somare’s case is very minor yet you have made a thunderous noise…
At the end of the day, Somare is still the father of PNG..and not you (writer) or anyone for that can remove that tag from him…how are we (PNG) going to thank the old man for commiting his entire life for PNG?
God Bless Somare and Long Live the father of PNG.