Asia-Pacific Network: 15 April 1997
MERCENARIES: 'PALACE GUARD' REVELATION MARKS INQUIRY
The Sandline inquiry has so far shown that sidelined Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan was keen to use the mercenaries as an elite "palace guard" for himself and his cronies, and has begun to unravel the money trail. The inquiry deadline has now been extended from April 18 to May 30. Election nominations ended this week.
By DAVID ROBIE in Port Moresby
PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea's dumped Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan wanted to use the South African-based Sandline mercenaries and a special forces unit to create an elite "palace guard" for himself and his cronies, the sacked military commander has alleged.
Brigadier-General Jerry Singirok, fired by Chan's government last month after launching a military operation to thwart a US$36 million plan for mercenary intervention in the war-torn island of Bougainville, told a commission of inquiry the elite force was for the "convenience" of the prime minister.
Chan had advised his acting departmental adviser to relinquish control and command of the PNG special forces on January 20 this year to the prime minister.
"I thought the whole idea was unconstitutional because the prime minister has no right to engage in a constitutional role of the Defence Force," Singirok told the inquiry.
This claim was among more notable revelations that have come out of the inquiry, headed by National Court judge Warwick Andrew and established by the Chan government under pressure from a powerful rebel faction of this South Pacific nation's 4700-strong Defence Force and public protests.
Other revelations include:
Sandline International, the British-based military consultancy humiliated by the detention and deportation of some 65 of its "hired guns", had targeted the opening of Bougainville's huge Panguna copper mine as the best option to end the eight-year-old war.
The Chan government had pushed for the signing of the contract with Sandline despite strong resistance from four department heads.
The government had planned to bring in US$15 million worth of military equipment from a German company, International Business Company, in three stages between December 1996 and July 1997. The shopping list looked similar to the list provided by Sandline International, but the plan was dropped.
Singirok claimed he had been told by Defence Minister Mathias Ijape that he would "become a rich man" if he agreed to hire Sandline to help seize the closed Panguna mine and crush the Bougainville Revolutionary Army secessionist rebellion.
A $19 million arsenal of weapons in Australia ordered by the mercenary force of "advisers" for the Bougainville operation includes two Mi-24 helicopter gunships, ($4.06 million) two Hind Mi-17 troop carrying helicopters ($3.8 million), helicopter spares ($2 million), six rocket-launchers, 1000 67mm high-explosive rockets and 100 AK-47 assault rifles and 750,000 rounds of ammunition. The cache has been mothballed by Australian authorities until after the inquiry.
PNG soldiers had seized US$400,000 in cash from Sandline International chief executive Tim Spicer, 44, a former lieutenant-colonel in the Scots Guards. The money was frozen in a PNG trust account. (Sandline was reported to be seeking compensation from the PNG government ‹ for half its $36 million contract money still outstanding, the cash seized from Spicer and $250,000 in "consultancy" fees.)
On his return to London last week after giving evidence before the commission and being freed on minor firearms charges, Spicer claimed that he had been threatened with a gun to his head and was beaten up after being captured by the PNG troops.
He condemned Singirok, accusing him of "betrayal".
Ironically, the commission hearing is being held in the grey concrete Supreme Court building, which neighbours Parliament Haus where Chan and two of his senior ministers were forced to stand down on March 26 pending the inquiry.
Chan has been careful not to actually resign and a controversy has raged over the country having "two prime ministers" but Acting Prime Minister John Giheno, previously one of Chan's cabinet ministers, insists he is in charge.
The election campaign began this week with a run-up to the week-long polls in June and Giheno was given a torrid time in a rally in Goroko, capital of the rugged Eastern Highlands.
Two ministers trying to defend the government's mercenary gamble on Bougainville were targeted with abuse by a group of the 10,000 protesters.
"Transparency in the actions, not only of politicians but heads of government departments and statutory bodies, must be pursued vigorously," leading businessman Michael Badui said.
"Tough legislation ought to be introduced in Parliament to severely punish those found guilty."
Corrupt practices are difficult to eliminate completely in Papua New Guinea, where a traditional "wantok", or brotherhood and kinship, system is deeply entrenched.
But the national concern over the problem has been reflected in a secret new report by the National Intelligence Organisation which has warned that corruption on a major scale is threatening to take a "stranglehold" on the country.
"What Jerry Singirok was on about was stopping the ever-growing upward spiral of corruption that started after independence and has grown alarmingly with each passing year," the report said.
"Do we really wish to be reduced to a basket case like certain African nations or, even closer to home, the Solomon Islands?"
Admitting that the resources of the country's existing agencies fighting corruption, such as the Ombudsman Commission and the police fraud squad, are severely stretched, the NIO called for the establishment of a more powerful anti-corruption body.
The Sandline hearing is due to end this week [Editor: Later extended to May 30], but Chan and his ministers, Ijape and sidelined Deputy Prime Minister Chris Haiveta, have yet to give evidence.
It is unlikely the report will be made public until shortly before the election. If it does not vindicate the popular General Singirok, observers fear the the polls could turn into chaos - or a coup.
David Robie is a New Zealand journalist and lecturer in journalism at the University of Papua New Guinea..
