Chaos at Australian-led Papua New Guinea anti-corruption commission
Papua New Guinea's anti-corruption body is in turmoil, sparked by infighting and allegations between the Australian and New Zealand bosses.
The two Australian and one New Zealand commissioners have made criminal allegations against each other as PNG's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) looks set to crumble.
Established in 2023, PNG's ICAC estimates the country loses up to $1.5bn every year to corruption. Reports from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade report say corruption is endemic in PNG.
Brisbane commercial lawyer Andrew Forbes is the ICAC commissioner. Former Victorian detective Daniel Baulch is a deputy commissioner, as is former New Zealand Serious Fraud Office executive Graham Gill.
In September last year, a senior PNG ICAC official made a confidential affidavit, alleging the commissioner, Mr Forbes, had manipulated proposed laws to give himself the power to be the only person allowed to conduct compulsory questioning hearings in suspected corruption cases, The Age reported.
'We reasonably suspect that the commissioner has engaged in a course of corrupt conduct,' deputies Mr Gill and Mr Baulch wrote in a letter last year.
An arrest warrant was issued for Mr Forbes; however, he obtained a court injunction against the warrant.
Now, Mr Forbes has reported his deputies to police for alleged financial misconduct, related to travel and accommodation.
They told the ABC that they had been 'subjected to retaliatory behaviour' and would 'strongly defend the allegations'.
The ABC reports the deputies have both left PNG, and ICAC's expat staff – including many Australians – are likely to resign.
The turmoil comes as PNG tries to avoid highly restrictive international money laundering and counter-terrorism financing measures that would severely isolate the Oceanic nation, particularly families of Papuans living overseas who receive money from their expatriate relatives.
'When you look at the context of corruption in PNG, it is fair to say that 20 per cent of government spending is lost through corruption, waste or error in any given year,' Mr Gill said in July.
NewsWire has reached out to Mr Forbes for comment.
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