Alotau trip funded through Government coffers, Opposition alleges

The Opposition is claiming that the government’s camp in Alotau has been funded by the Finance Department.

In a media conference this afternoon in Port Moresby, Opposition leader Don Polye claimed that he has evidence that the money totaling up to more than K110 million, coming from government coffers, was used to fund the Alotau Camp.

He called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to come out clear and explain where that money came from to fund the camp.

Polye described such an exercise by O’Neill as ‘enticement and bribery’, clouding the members of parliament’s conscience.

However, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill brushed aside the claims by the Opposition as ‘rubbish’ and not true.

O’Neill told Loop PNG from Alotau that their trip was funded by his party, People’s National Congress, and not the government.

He described the Opposition’s claims as “power hungry leaders who continue to lie and not releasing factual statements”.

The Opposition also claimed that O’Neill’s move to Alotau reflects his government’s misuse of the people’s resources to buy political support.

Deputy Opposition Leader Sam Basil said that the Alotau camp breaches the spirit of the constitution.

He said the constitution opens with a statement that all power belongs to the people – acting through their daily elected representatives.

Basil said the Alotau camp makes it impossible for the people to act through their representatives where the MPs cannot go to their electorates to hear what their people have to say.

Author: 
Freddy Mou