The Leader of the People’s National Congress Party, Peter O’Neill has extended his congratulations to Ishmael Toroama upon his election as the incoming President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government.

The former Prime Minister said in a statement the election of Ishmael Toroama is another important milestone for the Bougainville Peace Process and the leadership of Mr. Toroama will be vital as all parties work to implement successful outcomes from the referendum.

​THE counting of votes casted on Thursday in the Goroko Open seat by-election is expected to begin on Monday, according to Returning Officer Ekiso Kosanama.
The ballot boxes from the 158 polling venues are being kept under guard at the police station.
There are 179,000 voters registered in the three local level governments. He expects counting to take three weeks.
“We dispatched 83 polling teams into the Gahuku LLG, 23 to the Goroka Urban LLG and 52 to Mimanalo,” he said

Six vehicles were gifted to the PNG's Port Moresby Criminal Investigation Division   by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Each vehicle was gifted to Motor Squad responsible for dealing with Stolen Motors vehicles and syndicates, Break In Sqaud responsible for dealing with with Break and Enter Stealing, the General Sqaud, NCD Fraud Squad, Sexual Offences Squad and the Forensic Science Scene of Crime squad.
Mission Commander Assistant Commissioner Amanda Kates and her senior officers were at Boroko Police Station to officially hand over the vehicles to NCD/ Central Divisional Commander ACP Anthony Wagambie Jr.

Papua New Guinea  Opposition has called on the government to explain the paralyzing martial- law type restrictions that has crippled the economy to the point where it will take years to return to normal. Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Bolden Namath said: "Blaming Covid 19 is not good enough. There are no hospitals full of Covid-19 patients. There has virtually been no Covid death. The few deaths that have been declared as Covid deaths are only those with pre-existing medical conditions. "Yet thousands of our people are without work. The education of our children have been disrupted beyond possible correction this year. Businesses have been disrupted and many have closed operations. The restrictions imposed on our people are causing serious impacts and disrupting activities across the

Papua New Guinea ​POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer has said that the anxiety apparently experienced by Henganofi MP Robert Atiyafa and Unggai-Bena MP Benny Allan about his involvement in the Goroka by-election was unnecessary.

He said the purpose of his visit to Goroka was in his capacity as Police Minister to observe the implementation of new measures to stop voter fraud in PNG, a first for the country.

“I can understand that Mr Atiyafa and Mr Allan - two senior Opposition members of People’s National Congress (PNC)Party - may be anxious about their party’s chances of winning the seat. But I am here solely to observe the effectiveness of new measures introduced to improve integrity and transparency in elections,” he said.

The United Nations (UN) in Papua New Guinea congratulates the people of Bougainville for their active participation in the 2020 Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) general elections.

According to the UN, throughout the process, Bougainvilleans exhibited deep-rooted respect for human rights and democratic principles and demonstrated a profound commitment to peace.

The UN remains committed to working with the duly elected president Ishmael Toroama, once he is inaugurated as President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and continue to support the implementation of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

​A COURT has ordered Aitape-Lumi MP Patrick Pruaitch to pay more than K1.6 million to the Kina Bank for defaulting on an overdraft facility agreement he signed in July 2014.
National Court judge Justice Thomas Anis also ordered that Karridale Limited, whose property known as State Lease, Allotment 7, Section 55, in Boroko, Port Moresby, was held as security for the overdraft facility, to surrender the property to Kina Bank.
On July 11, 2014, Kina Bank approved an overdraft facility of up to K1.5 million to Pruaitch for his personal use.
It was later reduced to K1.24 million in August that year.
In June 2018, Kina Bank issued a notice of demand to Pruaitch after the overdraft facility had gone into arrears by around K1.3 million.

FORMER Madang MP and police and petroleum and energy minister Nixon Duban has been arrested and charged with two counts of misappropriation and one of conspiracy to defraud.
The amount involved is K1.2 million.

Asst Comm of Police (ACP), Crimes, Hodges Ette confirmed the charges, saying that police were investigating.

According to police reports, Duban is alleged to have conspired with two other persons to defraud K600,000 belonging to the Yagaum Rural Hospital infrastructure renovation and improvement project.

Ishmael Toroama has been declared the president-elect in Bougainville following an election process that began in the autonomous Papua New Guinea region, six weeks ago.

After the 23rd and final elimination Mr Toroama had 48,766 votes but crucially, under the preferential voting system, the absolute majority needed had fallen to 39,728.

Father Simon Dumarinu, a former PNG cabinet minister, finished second on 30,688 votes.

​POLICE Minister Bryan Kramer says the Royal PNG Constabulary is losing about K3 billion every year through corruption.
He told a police parade in Goroka on Saturday that the money lost was needed for new vehicles, uniforms, housing, children’s education and better police pay.
“All gone through corruption,” he told the policemen and women in Goroka
“There is no other agency to fight corruption apart from police.