Motukea Wharf

Chairman and Commissioner, Sike Julian Toulik said the hearings will be held at the Muruk Haus, level 1 Waigani in Port Moresby.

The schedules are as follows:

• Monday, 31 January 2022
• Wednesday, 2 February 2022
• Monday, 7 February 2022
• Wednesday, 16^th February 2022

The inquiry will establish if there were breaches of laws into the approval and negotiations of the Port Moresby wharf and subsequent acquisition of the Motukea wharf.

This is in accordance with the Statement of Case and Terms of Reference (ToR) published recently in the National Gazette No. G851 and G852 of 2021.

Sole Commissioner and Chairman of the COI, Sike Julian Toulik, said he welcomed the specific, succinct and clear Statement of Case and ToR for conducting the Inquiry with a view to rendering a final report to the Prime Minister.

The landowners state PNG Ports did not consult with them before it went ahead and started constructing a causeway, or road, through their land.

“We understand that PNG Ports Corporation had bought the Motukea Island from Curtain Brothers Limited in 2016 for a sum of K725 million. It had further obtained a K350 million loan from BSP to construct Port facilities and the causeway.

“What’s really startling is that the Motukea deal did not include a causeway,” said landowner spokesman Gaudi Rei.

Another twist to the story is that the causeway is built on disputed land.