Dede Sophie

The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) launched its Anti-Corruption and Integrity Strategy 2023-2025 in Port Moresby this week. The two-year Strategy is a roadmap for combating corruption within ICAC. The document is an outcome of a Memorandum of Understanding between ICAC and its partner Transparency International signed in 2021. In a small but significant ceremony, the document was officially launched. According to ICAC Interim Chairman, Thomas Eluh, ICAC foresees that the threat of corruption is not only from the outside but also within, thus it is critically important for ICAC to ensure that they have systems and processes that can help them eradicate corruption. The document ties ICAC down to four key objectives. Mr. Eluh called for greater collaboration among its partners to fight corruption in the country collectively. Transparency International Chief Executive Officer, Arianne Kassman described the launch of the two-year strategy as a milest

Five members of a criminal gang responsible for hurling a grenade that killed two men in Goilala, PNG’s central province were ambushed and killed in a retaliatory attack in December, PNG Police say.  Acting Provincal Police Commander of Central Province Senior Inspector Patterson Birigi said the five suspects were slain by angry relatives of the bomb victims, who went after and found them holed up in a remote village in Fane LLG. Members of the PNG Police in Goilala [Photo supplied] The gang led by a renowned criminal identified as Awa Pilot were responsible for various other crimes around the Tolokuma area until they met their fate, acting PPC Birigi said. He said since the closure of the Tolokuma mine in 2017,  the neighbouring communities lived in fear because of the menace and terror imposed on them by the Pilot gang. The acting PPC said when reports of the bomb attack reached Port Moresby, a composite team comprised of Central Police, the SSD and CID personnel were deployed into T