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PNG-Taiwan scandal warms up

13 May, 2008 in Papua New Guinea, Taiwan by John Burton | No comments

L-to-R facing camera: Wu Shih-Tsai,
F. Gubon, T. Bonga, Chiou I-Jen in Taiwan in 2006
(The National 9 May 2008)

Mystery has surrounded the meeting in Taiwan between chairman of the PNG Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, Timothy Bonga, a Port Moresby lawyer Dr Florian Gubon and Taiwanese officials in relation to a proposal to pay US$29.8 million to PNG in exchange for diplomatic recognition of the ROC.

According to The China Post, on 9 May 2008, Singaporean middleman Wu Shi-tsai says that all the money was sent back to Foreign Minister James Huang, Vice Premier Chiou I-Jen and Vice Defense Minister Ko Cheng-heng, who all resigned last week.

Yesterday, however, a lawyer for Ching Chi-ju, the other middleman, conveyed different information:

“I think that would be impossible because a big chunk of it has already been paid to Papua New Guinea officials [to facilitate talks on establishing ties] and another part was paid to Ching Chi-ju and Wu Shih-tsai as reward for their efforts,” the lawyer said (Islands Business, 12 May 2008).

Who is correct?

Meanwhile, China Times journalist Liang Dong-Ping was reported yesterday as confirming PNG Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare met James Huang when in Singapore last year for a medical checkup.

Wikipedia has a summary of the struggles between the PRC and ROC for recognition in the Pacific here.

Sir Michael is hardly to blame for avoiding treatment his country’s flagship hospital, POM General, given reports [1] [2] that it has run out of food and medicines.

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