Posted on The National
KUMUL Petroleum Holdings Ltd (KPHL) continues to defy National Executive Council (NEC) directives and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) notices, PAC chairman Sir John Pundari, pictured, says.
“The Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd on two occasions breached the Permanent Parliamentary Committees (PPC) Act 1994 when it failed to produce information requested by the Public Accounts Committee,” Sir John said in a statement.
Sir John said that KPHL was initially requested by PAC to provide information on the proceeds from the PNGLNG project and was given 14 days to comply with the notice which lapsed at 4pm on July 22. “KPHL failed to comply with this notice but PAC was lenient and extended (it) by giving an additional 14 days to comply with its request.
“Even after the 28-day period lapsed, KPHL failed to comply with the request.”
Sir John said a NEC decision number NG29/2019 approved that KPHL was subject to the scrutiny of PAC.
He said KPHL had acted against the advice of the state solicitor that it was subject to PAC scrutiny.
“The PAC has taken the continued non-compliance by KPHL very seriously and warned that failure to comply with the last and final notice will result in PAC enforcing without hesitation, penalty provisions under the Permanent Parliamentary Committee Act,” Sir John said.
He said Prime Minister James Marape as the sole trustee of KPHL was informed of the infringements by KPHL and the ramifications of its continuous non-compliance if they failed to comply with the seven days’ ultimatum.
He explained that notices had been served on the following companies and organisations requesting information relating to the KPHL enquiry. They are:
“The Kumul Petroleum Holdings Ltd on two occasions breached the Permanent Parliamentary Committees (PPC) Act 1994 when it failed to produce information requested by the Public Accounts Committee,” Sir John said in a statement.
Sir John said that KPHL was initially requested by PAC to provide information on the proceeds from the PNGLNG project and was given 14 days to comply with the notice which lapsed at 4pm on July 22. “KPHL failed to comply with this notice but PAC was lenient and extended (it) by giving an additional 14 days to comply with its request.
“Even after the 28-day period lapsed, KPHL failed to comply with the request.”
Sir John said a NEC decision number NG29/2019 approved that KPHL was subject to the scrutiny of PAC.
He said KPHL had acted against the advice of the state solicitor that it was subject to PAC scrutiny.
“The PAC has taken the continued non-compliance by KPHL very seriously and warned that failure to comply with the last and final notice will result in PAC enforcing without hesitation, penalty provisions under the Permanent Parliamentary Committee Act,” Sir John said.
He said Prime Minister James Marape as the sole trustee of KPHL was informed of the infringements by KPHL and the ramifications of its continuous non-compliance if they failed to comply with the seven days’ ultimatum.
He explained that notices had been served on the following companies and organisations requesting information relating to the KPHL enquiry. They are:
- Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG);
- Bank South Pacific (BSP);
- ANZ Bank;
- Westpac Bank; and,
- Department of Treasury.
Sir John said supplementary notices had also been served to KPHL for further information pertaining to the UBS loan and the Papua LNG project.
Sir John was grateful for the cooperation of the Health Department and Borneo Pacific for their responses to the committee’s notices.
A further supplementary notice has been served on the Health Department for further information.
Sir John thanked Marape and the Speaker of Parliament for their support and further advised that activities conducted by his office as chairman and the secretariat were done with very limited resources and “sometimes have to fund some of the activities out of my own pocket.”
Sir John said: “We are doing assessments on the information received from notices we have already served but under extreme resources and capacity constraints while overcoming impediments that we do not want to disclose.”
After the parliament sitting that begins on Oct 8, the first to be scheduled for an open enquiry at the parliament state function room will be KPHL followed by the others.
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Sir John was grateful for the cooperation of the Health Department and Borneo Pacific for their responses to the committee’s notices.
A further supplementary notice has been served on the Health Department for further information.
Sir John thanked Marape and the Speaker of Parliament for their support and further advised that activities conducted by his office as chairman and the secretariat were done with very limited resources and “sometimes have to fund some of the activities out of my own pocket.”
Sir John said: “We are doing assessments on the information received from notices we have already served but under extreme resources and capacity constraints while overcoming impediments that we do not want to disclose.”
After the parliament sitting that begins on Oct 8, the first to be scheduled for an open enquiry at the parliament state function room will be KPHL followed by the others.
