Feature: PNG can't sweep latest corruption arrests away as APEC hosting duties loom

As Papua New Guinea enters preparation for APEC 2018, the international community can no longer turn a blind eye to the latest battle in the ongoing corruption saga engulfing the top echelons of power.

Papua New Guinea's national court issued orders on Monday to stay the suspension of the pacific nation's chief anti-corruption investigator Matthew Damaru after he was removed from office early Saturday morning. A further order was issued to stop any other form of intimidation or interference by the state or its actors in their investigations.

"They were made on an urgent basis because (Damaru) had been sidelined in circumstances where he alleges there is no basis for him being suspended and because of the sensitive nature on many of the investigations he's conducting at the present time," Damaru's lawyer, Australian barrister Greg Egan told Xinhua.

Damaru is in-effect reinstated to his former position.

Australia's national broadcaster reported the recent arrests made by the anti-corruption investigators has divided the police force, with Monday's court decision causing rival elements into open confrontation at the fraud squad's headquarters.

It's alleged officers loyal to Baki had locked down Damaru's office with chains, were changing the locks, and had locked other directorate officers out of the building.

PNG PRIME MINISTER PETER O'NEILL WANTED FOR ARREST SINCE 2014

Papua New Guinea (PNG) anti-corruption officers have been attempting to arrest Prime Minister Peter O'Neill since 2014 over his role in authorizing a 31 million Australian dollar payment to local law firm Paul Paraka Lawyers for fraudulent invoices. O'Neill has been challenging the warrant through the courts ever since.

Authorities began to make headway last week, arresting senior Supreme Court Justice Sir Bernard Sakora on judicial corruption charges for not disclosing a payment from a company connected to Paul Paraka Lawyers, as well as Attorney General Ano Pala and PNG Prime Minster Peter O'Neill's lawyer on separate matters.

The arrests were the result of the removal of a blanket ban from the Supreme Court preventing anti-corruption officers furthering their investigation against Paul Paraka. A single order preventing authorities acting on O'Neill's warrant for arrest remains.

However, O'Neill on Friday decried the arrests as a "vigilante style of police operation"based on"false allegations"and called on the police commissioner to "use his power"to assess if the cases have merit.

Though denying it was linked to O'Neill's pressure, Baki suspended several of the anti-fraud investigators early Saturday morning for what he called"continuous defiance of administrative direction/insubordination" as he was not briefed on the ensuing arrests.

"Damaru and his team's modus operandi was to do investigations covertly and run to the courts to obtain arrest warrants in direct contradiction to set police practice and procedures as well as ruling of the Supreme Court," Baki in a statement to media over the weekend.

"This is also done to frustrate and prevent me from exercising my powers as Commissioner of Police for the overall superintendence, efficient organization and control of the force."

Global corruption watchers Transparency International told Xinhua on Monday the disturbing developments may be a turning point in the fight against corruption in PNG as the reasons for removal "seem to be fairly procedural" to essentially interfere in the course of justice.

"The feeling at the moment is that people are particularly horrified, and there now appears to be a level of interference in due course of justice, (are) wanting to see a change," Transparency International PNG Chairman Lawrence Stephens told Xinhua via phone.

"People are actually dying because there is no money available for medicines and various other things that are required in the country, and we have here, evidence of huge amounts of money being siphoned off and people are arguing over whether (investigators) are following the right procedures."

PNG CORRUPTION IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE

Corruption has been a systemic issue since before PNG's independence in 1975, however, the pacific nation has a history of conducting inquiries, referring people for prosecution only for further action to subside.

"People have been able to somehow simply wait out until things fade," Stephens said.

"It's always possible that could happen again."

However as PNG gears up to host the APEC leaders summit in 2018, the international community can no longer ignore these systemic issues that bring instability to the region.

"Stability is not just political stability but stability in the functioning of democracy (as) the rule of law is a pillar that ensures a well oiled democracy," chairman of the now disbanded anti-corruption investigation Taskforce Sweep, Sam Koim, told Xinhua.

"When there is clear affront to the rule of law, that creates instability and for that reason the neighbours should be concerned about the instability in the neighbourhood."

"If they are not concerned, I don't know what standards we are setting."

Papua New Guinea is ranked 139 out of 167 countries in Transparency International's global corruption perception index.

PNG will host the APEC 2018 leaders summit in Port Moresby. Endit