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Tuesday, 11 October 2011
Page: 11522

Papua New Guinea: Corruption Cases

(Question No. 343)

Ms Julie Bishop asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in writing, on 24 March 2011:

(1) How many cases of alleged corruption in Papua New Guinea (a) are currently being investigated, and (b) were investigated in each calendar year from 2005 to 2010.

(2) In each calendar year from 2005 to 2010, how many of the cases in part (1)(b) resulted in (a) dismissal, (b) fine, (c) demotion, or (d) other penalty being handed down.

(3) What sum of money was lost to corruption in Papua New Guinea in each calendar year from 2005 to 2010.

Mr Rudd: The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

It is not possible to provide authoritative and reliable information in response to these questions.

I am advised that PNG authorities do not aggregate data on cases of alleged corruption. Therefore, there is no accurate information available from PNG to answer these questions. International organisations and their affiliates, such as Transparency International and Transparency International PNG Inc, provide general assessments of corruption related activity in PNG. However, detailed case information is not available.

In March 2010, the PNG Government tabled an 800-page Commission of Inquiry report on the management of public monies by the PNG Department of Finance. The Commission of Inquiry concluded that statutory processes had been grossly abused allowing improper claims for payment to be made on the State, and excessive payouts to be legitimised, over the investigation period of 2000 to 2006. However, corruption covers a range of offences wider than the misuse of public money covered in the Commission of Inquiry report.