Government names Sir Salamo as head of UBS inquiry

By LUKE KAMA and HELEN TARAWA - The National

THE Government has approved a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the controversial UBS loan and appointed former Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia, pictured, to head it.
Prime Minister James Marape said K4 million was allocated for the work – expected to be completed in three months – with lawyer Sam Koim, the former chairman of the disbanded Task Force Sweep team, appointed principal legal counsel, to assist Sir Salamo.
Marape said Sir Salamo’s appointment had been made after wider consultation and he was a man of respectable standing and integrity who would deliver what the country and the people wanted to know concerning the UBS (Union Bank of Switzerland) K3 billion loan. If there is any doubts, he was the person overlooked by the previous government of former Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for his reappointment as the chief justice for the second term,” he said.
“I am confident that he is the right choice.”
Marape said the terms of reference for the inquiry covered the entire aspects of the transaction and it going back to the IPIC loan deal.
“As I have promised to the people and the country, we need to have answers to how and why this UBS loan was obtained?” he said.
“Whether it was done properly in compliance of our country’s laws, who are the principal players and what benefit did the country gain from the loan transactions?
“These are critical questions and the people are entitled to know the answers.”
Marape said the inquiry will look into the germination of the idea, where it came from, how it started, whether it is beneficial to the country, if there were the losses made and if there was impropriety or corruption.
“The inquiry will find out if any money was gained illegally in the transaction hidden somewhere,”he said.
“I will not stand in the way in rescuing this so this becomes a pointer to our nation’s demand to fight corruption in its fullest.
“As prime minister, I intend to make my mark in the country.
“Growing the economy but without putting the check mechanisms to stop wastage through deliberate complacency in corruption or character complacency in attitude and recklessness is something that we must stop.”
Marape said the two men appointed would be able to select candidates for the appointment of other technical positions required for the inquiry.
He said the Ombudsman Commission’s report on the loan dealt only with government officials and not private people and companies.
“So the COI will investigate the commercial aspects as well as the conduct of those private individuals and companies,” he said.
“Once the inquiry is complete, its findings and report will be tabled in Parliament and when adopted, it will be referred to the relevant authority to take appropriate actions.”
Marape said COI was appointed and it was time for the public to give their evidence to the inquiry to assist the team.

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