PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Neville calls on PM to resign over forestry allegations

Milne Bay Governor Tim Neville has called on Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, to clear his name - or resign - over allegations by a former minister that he was being influenced by a network of timber interests

Pacific Media Watch
Monday, February 9, 2004

PORT MORESBY (The National Online/Pacific Media Watch): Milne Bay Governor Tim Neville has called on Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, to clear his name - or resign - over allegations by a former minister that he was being influenced by a network of timber interests, The National reports.

Sir Michael last week responded to his former Environment Minister Sasa Zibe¹s claims on a controversial Australian Broadcasting Corporation report as being "sour grapes".

The National reported at the weekend threats to sue the ABC and former minister over the allegations.

Zibe was sacked from cabinet last year for constantly working against the government's export-driven economic recovery policy.

Neville, a former Forests Minister, said Zibe¹s allegations were "serious and damaging" and alleged conspiracy and collusion of a serious nature involving certain unscrupulous timber operations.

"This is not a small time back bencher letting off steam," Neville said. "This is a former Minister in Sir Michael Somare's cabinet. If Mr Zibe claims that certain companies reached right up to the Prime Minister to influence him to remove him from the ministry, then Mr Zibe has to be believed."

He called on the Prime Minister to clear his name or resign from office.

Neville also called on Zibe to name the companies he claimed were involved and pass on the names to the Ombudsman Commission and tender copies in Parliament.

Meanwhile, the PNG Forest Industries Association has again hit out at what it described as a ³misinformed commentary² by Australian Federal Minister for Forest Senator Ian Macdonald regarding the PNG timber industry.

Senator Macdonald said he agreed with Greenpeace that one of the world¹s most important forests "is being destroyed by illegal logging in Papua New Guinea."

He said Australia has one of the best-managed timber operations and if it were not bothered by Greenpeace, Australia would be self sufficient on wood and forest products and "we would not have to consider imports from alleged dodgy operations."

The FIA¹s executive director David McCarthy said 80% of PNG was forest-covered and the landowners had automatic rights to their land and even cut their trees.

Where there were timber concessions, the landowners' interests were well catered for backed by infrastructure developments and many socio-economic benefits also flow on to the people.

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Date Posted: 2/9/2004