The Prime Minister said he has been a State minister since 2008 with a number of departmental heads working under him who are well aware of his work ethic.
He said with him now holding office as the Prime Minister, he felt obliged to explain his part in the case because of misinformation being peddled by his opponents to the public, but the case is still in court and therefore sub judice.
“The Paraka thing (case) keeps on doing the rounds.
“I was the minister who stopped the payment in 2012 after my instruction to verify the bill and indication that came back required further investigations, so I stopped payments in early November 2012 where the claimant used a then PMPO letter of 26.01.12. Using that letter as a cover, many payments were made even against my instruction and then PMPO’s instruction in October/November of 2012 for no payment to be made until the total bills were verified because these bills dated back to 2006 or thereabouts.
“I am a State witness in this matter since 2013. My statements have been furnished to the police, and I heard then Finance Secretary, the late Steven Gibson in his statement, did confirm my directions not to pay Paraka.
“These matters are now before a competent legal/prosecution process and I will be deemed to be sub judice so I do not want to discuss further on this. But because I now hold the office of the Prime Minister, I have to publicly make this statement in the face of newspaper and social media commentaries to assure all that my conduct in my public service is always within the law,” said PM Marape.
“I have been a State minister since 2008, and many departmental heads have worked under me, and they can attest to my character. I do not break laws in my work; neither do I force them to do illegal things or personal favours.
“In my life, I have been privileged to have worked with senior PNG civil servants at Waigani, all their deputies, and their public servants in Works, Transport, Civil Aviation, Education, UNESCO, Library and Archives, Finance, CSTB (NPC) and now PM & NEC.
“In the last 17 years of my public life working with senior public servants like Joel Luma, Roy Mumu, Joe Kintau, late Dr Joseph Pagalio, Dr Michael Tapo, Dr Uke Kombra, late Yori Yei, late Steven Gibson, Dr. Ken Ngangan, Ambassador Isaac Lupai, and now Ambassador Ivan Pomaleu as Chief Secretary and Secretary Grace Soon at NEC. All of these people know my work ethics and my commitment to the country above self and my district,” said the Prime Minister.
PM Marape reassured the people of PNG that in all his working life in PNG politics, he has discharged and continues to discharge his duties with full consciousness of the laws of PNG and his duty to country.
“I want to give assurance to the people of my country; I work with consciousness to law and conviction to my duty for PNG.
“I am not here breaking laws so contrary to my political opponents who come in many forms, I will soldier on for PNG.
“These Paraka matters are in court. I ask all to respect that. For all who question my character, I have put to you all those I have worked with. I sleep well at night knowing that those Papua New Guineans who have worked under me know the real James Marape and not the brush paintings of my opposition,” said the Prime Minister.