The Governor for East Sepik Hon. Allan Bird has called the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) K3 billion loan deal as the most brilliant scam ever concocted in the nation’s history. It was a deliberate game plan of former prime minister Peter O'Neill to scam and defraud the people of Papua New Guinea. - Allan Bird.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA UBS K3 BILLION LOAN DEAL MOST BRILLIANT SCAM EVER, SAYS GOVERNOR BIRD
Press Release | Thursday, 21 April 2022.
The Governor for East Sepik Hon. Allan Bird has called the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) K3 billion loan deal as the most brilliant scam ever concocted in the nation’s history.
Bird said it was the deliberate game plan of former prime minister Peter O’Neill “to scam and defraud the people of PNG”.
“There is more integrity at buai markets than on this floor because we lie all the time,” he said.
“Enough is enough of making stealing look appealing and thinking you can get away with it.
“This behaviour needs to stop and all the recommendations in this report need to be carried by this house.”
Bird said too many lies had been voiced in Parliament since 2014 and in cabinet, so someone must be held accountable.
“He claimed that when Oil Search was in trouble, ‘they somehow knew that somebody was going to bail them out’.
“Six days before the National Executive Council had made their decision, which meant that they had an insider within the government (who) leaked confidential information,” he said.
“We should all be ashamed because we allow similar deals to pass through our government and country.
“Within cabinet in future, the prime minister or his deputy, should not be allowed to sack his treasurer so that he can sign the documents himself. There should be penalties introduced for this.”
Bird also suggested that future speakers of the house must enforce strict rules on those who lied in Parliament.
“Many times we tell lies on the floor but are not penalised for it.
“Some are even rewarded because of it,” he said.
