This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/15/peter-oneill-police-issue-arrest-warrant-for-former-papua-new-guinea-pm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Peter O'Neill: police issue arrest warrant for former Papua New Guinea PM | Peter O'Neill: police issue arrest warrant for former Papua New Guinea PM |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of the former prime minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill on corruption charges. | Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of the former prime minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill on corruption charges. |
| The warrant was issued by the Waigani district court on Friday for “official corruption”, according to a statement issued by acting commissioner of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, David Manning, who said he was not able to reveal specific details of the charges at this point “due to the sensitivity of the investigations”. | The warrant was issued by the Waigani district court on Friday for “official corruption”, according to a statement issued by acting commissioner of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, David Manning, who said he was not able to reveal specific details of the charges at this point “due to the sensitivity of the investigations”. |
| “The warrant was obtained upon the weight of the evidence brought forward by the investigators,” Manning said in a statement. | “The warrant was obtained upon the weight of the evidence brought forward by the investigators,” Manning said in a statement. |
| “The warrant of arrest is now in the process of being served on Mr O’Neill. He will be processed by police after which he has the right to bail and defend himself in court.” | “The warrant of arrest is now in the process of being served on Mr O’Neill. He will be processed by police after which he has the right to bail and defend himself in court.” |
| Manning said that police had made contact with O’Neill at the hotel where he was staying and asked him to accompany them to a police station to be processed but the former prime minister had not complied with the request. | Manning said that police had made contact with O’Neill at the hotel where he was staying and asked him to accompany them to a police station to be processed but the former prime minister had not complied with the request. |
| “As we speak he has refused to cooperate with police thus far,” said Manning. | “As we speak he has refused to cooperate with police thus far,” said Manning. |
| The warrant was confirmed to the Guardian by Bryan Kramer, PNG’s police minister and a key anti-corruption campaigner, who told the Guardian earlier this year that he expected O’Neill would not finish serving his term as an MP, but would be “arrested and prosecuted”. | The warrant was confirmed to the Guardian by Bryan Kramer, PNG’s police minister and a key anti-corruption campaigner, who told the Guardian earlier this year that he expected O’Neill would not finish serving his term as an MP, but would be “arrested and prosecuted”. |
| Speaking to the Guardian on Tuesday, after news of the arrest warrant was reported, Kramer said O’Neill was refusing to cooperate with police. | Speaking to the Guardian on Tuesday, after news of the arrest warrant was reported, Kramer said O’Neill was refusing to cooperate with police. |
| “It is disturbing to hear a former prime minister avoiding arrest by hiding out in a hotel room and refusing to cooperate with police in complying with the court-ordered warrant of arrest.” | “It is disturbing to hear a former prime minister avoiding arrest by hiding out in a hotel room and refusing to cooperate with police in complying with the court-ordered warrant of arrest.” |
| O’Neill came to power in 2011. | O’Neill came to power in 2011. |
| He stepped down as leader of the country in May after months of political turmoil, and the parliament voted overwhelmingly to replace him with James Marape. | He stepped down as leader of the country in May after months of political turmoil, and the parliament voted overwhelmingly to replace him with James Marape. |
| In 2014, a warrant was issued for O’Neill’s arrest as part of a long-running corruption inquiry into alleged fraudulent payments of around $30m to a Port Moresby law firm. O’Neill fought the warrant, which was eventually ruled to be void by the PNG supreme court. Anger over O’Neill’s refusal to face charges led to student protests in 2016, which resulted in the deaths of four people. | |
| Papua New Guinea | Papua New Guinea |
| Asia Pacific | Asia Pacific |
| news | news |
| Share on Facebook | Share on Facebook |
| Share on Twitter | Share on Twitter |
| Share via Email | Share via Email |
| Share on LinkedIn | Share on LinkedIn |
| Share on Pinterest | Share on Pinterest |
| Share on WhatsApp | Share on WhatsApp |
| Share on Messenger | Share on Messenger |
| Reuse this content | Reuse this content |