Questions over Papua New Guinea cabinet's new MOU with anti-corruption body

A Papua New Guinea MP is questioning a new agreement between the government executive and the country's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The government says the new Memorandum of Understanding between ICAC and the National Executive Council will strengthen prevention, detection and investigation of corruption within the govbernment administration.

ICAC head Thomas Eluh decsribed the new agreement as a significant step topwards strengthening institutional collaboration in the fight against corruption.

According to him, there was an an emphasis on information and intelligence sharing in the new agreement, promoting greater transparency in public office

"Corruption is complex. It does not exist in isolation, and neither can our response to it. It cuts across systems, processes, and institution. For that reason, coordination between agencies is essential," Eluh said.

But a former senior government minister and attorney-general, who is the current MP for Sinasina Tonggomugl, Kerenga Kua, said it was not clear why the MOU was necessary.

"I really see this MOU as superfluous. All it's doing, it's watering down the personal resolve between the ICAC commissioners and their staff to get tough on members of the NEC. If you're brothers in arms with them, then you can't act against them. That's wrong," Kua told RNZ Pacific.

ICAC was established by the Marape government in 2020 following the passage of the Organic Law on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (OLICAC) by the Parliament

"If anything I would say that this (MOU) compromises the independence of ICAC. You don't have to sign up an agreement and exchange brotherly love. The organic law is self-executing, the organic law in ICAC," Kua said.

"Why should an agreement be necessary? So that thing is about fostering relationships, but fostering relationships should not be a feature where independence is required - independence of mind and independence of resolve and independence of action."

Kua said that, to date, ICAC had done very little in terms of prosecuting corruption in public office.