Sir Julius facing OC: Schnaubelt

The National National
Walter Schnaubelt

NEW Ireland Governor Sir Julius Chan has been referred to the Ombudsman Commission (OC) for breaches of the Organic Law on Provincial and Local Level Governments.
This was confirmed by Namatanai MP Walter Schnaubelt.
Schnaubelt told The National that Sir Julius was referred to the OC weeks ago, however, the OC and the fraud squad had yet to act on the complaints.
Sir Julius responded to his referral criticising New Ireland’s two MPs Schnaubelt and Kavieng MP Ian Ling-Stuckey.
“They (Schnaubelt and Ling-Stuckey) can do whatever they like,” he said.
“I don’t have anything to hide.
“All the points they raised are dead issues.
“These issues have already being dealt with in the past on the floor of the provincial assembly, where they belong.”
Schnaubelt, however, said there were breaches to the Organic Law on provincial governments and LLGs including:

  • HOLDING an assembly meeting at the same time as the sitting of the National Parliament;
  • ILLEGALLY appointing a maimai (chief) in the provincial assembly – New Ireland does not have a paramount chieftaincy system;
  • ILLEGALLY appointing People’s Progress Party liaison officers;
  • FAILURE to establish a provincial plan and the budget has not been approved; and,
  • FAILURE to acquit K400 million of the Lihir royalty money since 2007.

Schnaubelt said the provincial government has not been fair to the leadership of the two districts with Sir Julius doing “whatever he wants to do.
“I have tried for reconciliation with him but he refuses my hand.”