The Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Events, Justin Tkatchenko, has said in a statement that he will no longer be questioned about his citizenship as a Papua New Guinean now that the investigation by the Ombudsman Commission (OC) into the allegations against him, is now closed. In a letter dated December 20th, 2023, Chief Ombudsman Mr. Richard Pagen informed Mr. Tkatchenko that the investigation into the allegations of unlawful granting of his citizenship found no wrongdoing on his part and as such, the investigation wrapped up. According to Mr. Pagen, the Citizenship Advisor Committee had…
Author: Nigel-Francis MADO
The Ombudsmen Commission (OC) has closed the investigation into allegations of illegally acquiring citizenship against former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Justin Tkatchenko, stating that at the time of him being granted citizenship, the Member of Parliament (MP) had already met all requirements. In a letter from the Chief Ombudsmen Mr. Richard Pagen to the MP for Moresby South, he advised that during the investigation, they had verified that the Member had met all requirements under section 67 of the Constitution. “The Commission’s investigations established that at that material time there was a Citizenship Advisory Committee in existence when you (MP)…
Internal Security Minister, Peter Tsiamalili Jnr in a statement this week reaffirmed the Ministry and the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s (RPNGC) commitment to ensuring they provide a more disciplined and driven police force for the country. The Minister stated that the recent report in the media regarding the charging of 116 former police officers for criminal acts is a clear indication of their unwavering commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance policy on misconduct within the RPNGC. “In 2023, Commissioner Manning authorized the dishonorable discharge of over 300 police officers. Under the leadership of the Marape-Rosso Government, we have unequivocally stated…
New Year, New way of thinking and New Infrastructure! The residents of Moresby South will soon have their own state of the art hospital worth around K15million by July this year. Construction work has commenced on the District hospital with no further delays. Moresby South MP, Justin Tkatchenko stated that project was planned for completion last year but was stopped for some time due to a court dispute by clan leaders from the Mahuru Village. Court case has now been completed with NCDC and the District being awarded the land, construction is set to move forward. Tkatchenko said the hospital…
The Bougainville Police Service has commended the people of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville for their support and effort to ensure that they welcomed the New Year without any major incidents or accidents. Acting Chief of the Bougainville Police Service, Chief Inspector Spencer Aili told PNG HAUSBUNG that he was thankful for the support shown by the communities and is hoping they walk into 2024 with new and invigorated spirits to maintain peace. He said they had challenges with logistical support but managed to pull through with what resources that were available. He said as usual for the BPS they…
With the intent to bridge the gap between the rural and urban sector in terms of providing internet accessibility the Minister for Information and Communications Technology Timothy Masiu announced the issuance of a five-year operator license to StarLink Incorporated for its satellite services by the National Information and Communication Technology Authority (NICTA). Making his announcement in Kokopo recently, the Minister remarked that this is a significant step in bridging the digital divide and a positive impact to the ICT Sector. Masiu stated that the license will ensure to enable StarLink to establish, maintain, and operate its satellite network, bringing broadband…
After a successful end to the Special Police operations in West New Britain (WNB) Province, Provincial Police Commander, Peter Barkie is calling for the people of West New Britain to learn from the experiences of the past year and continue to strive for a better and law-abiding society in 2024. The PPC had nothing but praise for the people of WNB this festive period for being able to abide by the laws and restrictions that were set by both the Provincial Government and the police thus making sure that no major incidents or accidents occurred during the festive period. “My…
Following 14 days of special police operations in the festive period, the West New Britain Police have advised that they are satisfied and happy that they have delivered a safe and peaceful festive period, with huge commendations for the people of WNB. Provincial Police Commander, Superintendent Peter Barkie told PNG HAUSBUNG that although they had a few challenges along the way, he is quite content and had huge praise for the people for heeding instructions from the police and observing both Christmas and New Year in a civil manner. With the emphasis on working in partnership with the communities on,…
A young man, an alleged murder suspect, would have been brutally killed at the hands of an angry mob of people on New Year’s Eve in Port Moresby city, had it not been for a police roadblock that saved his life. Whilst everyone else spent the rest of the night in the comfort of their own homes and with family, the young man who was alleged to be involved in a murder incident the previous day, ran into the arms of the police at a roadblock at Badili last night in an attempt to save his own neck. Badili police…
Overwhelmed with emotion the Deputy Commissioner of Police for Special Operations, Donald Yamasombi fought back tears as he explained to PNG Hausbung how much it meant for the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) after hearing the guilty verdict yesterday of the four men who were arrested and charged for attempting to smuggle illegal substances out of the country. The Deputy Commissioner highlighted that this was a monumental achievement for the constabulary, stating that this is a case in point for the police and was happy that the National Court was able to get a verdict. “I was with my…