Title: Former PNG Ports Officials, Australian Consultant, and Philippines-Based Ports Operator Under Investigation for Alleged Bribery Scheme
Authorities Probe Potential Corruption in ICTSI’s Contract to Manage PNG’s Largest Terminals
The Papua New Guinea (PNG) police are investigating senior officials, Fego Kiniafa and Stanley Alphonse, Australian consultant Don Matheson, and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), a Philippines-based ports operator, over suspicions of a bribery scheme that may have influenced ICTSI’s contract to manage the country’s largest terminals 1.
Complex Transnational Economic Crime Investigation
According to Papua New Guinea Police Commissioner David Manning, “This is a complex transnational economic crime investigation. We are currently investigating allegations of fraud and official corruption”1. The investigation follows documents reviewed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) which hinted at potential links between funds transferred to a Singapore company established by Don Matheson and benefits given to Kiniafa and Alphonse.
Documents from the Pandora Papers
The leaked documents, known as the Pandora Papers, revealed that ICTSI allegedly transferred approximately US$4.35 million to Matheson’s Singapore company in 2017 1. Some of these funds were then channeled to Alphonse, while other payments went towards benefits for Kiniafa, including the purchase of a racehorse and medical equipment 1.
Independent Review of the Public Tendering Process
Commissioner Manning emphasized, “It’s essential that we independently review the entire public tendering process undertaken by PNG Ports Corporation to determine whether the contract awarded to ICTSI was done without any form of bias or corruption”1.
Denial of Wrongdoing and No Response from Legal Team
When approached by investigative journalists, Alphonse denied any wrongdoing, but Matheson’s legal team did not respond to inquiries 1. Tragically, Kiniafa was murdered in an unrelated case last September 1.
Ongoing Police Investigation
The police investigation continues, with authorities looking into the details of this potentially multimillion-dollar bribery scheme.
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