Police are on the lookout for former prime minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill on corruption charges.
What We Know:
- The Waigani district court issued the warrant on Friday and the police came in contact with O’Neill at a hotel and asked him to go to the police station. According to the Guardian, O’Neill reused to go.
- Bryan Kramer, a PNG’s police minister and key anti-corruption campaigner, has gone on to say that “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 into power in 2011 and lost it earlier in May after parliament voted to replace him with James Marape. He was arrested previously for similar corruption charges due to fraudulent payments of around $30m to a Port Moresby law firm. O’Neill has slammed these accusations as false.
O’Neill stated he will work with police but warned: “to think carefully and respect and honor the oath you swore to our nation”.
