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News
Thursday 14th September , 2006


Swamp Ghost sale halted

THE Public Accounts Committee has disallowed the contract for the sale, salvage or export of the controversial Swamp Ghost aircraft. The PAC yesterday, in its interim findings, emphasised the Swamp Ghost is still the property of the State of Papua New Guinea and the National Museum and Arts Gallery is not an agent or a representative of the state to sell, salvage, remove or export state-owned property as the museum has no power to sell the Swamp Ghost or War Surplus material. The committee found the actions of the museum in selling the Swamp ghost as unlawful. The committee identified about 82 other aircraft or aircraft parts that have been exported from PNG. A large number of aircraft have been traced to private hands, museums and collectors and the committee found there has been an ongoing international trade in war surplus material illegally obtained and exported from PNG. The committee intends to refer transactions and salvagers and their agents or vendors who sell materials on the open market to the Royal Papua New Guinea Police Force, Foreign Police Forces and International Law Enforcement Agencies Some of those materials have been sold on the open market by salvagers The committee also found there were four major salvages that had been operating in the country with the assistance of the National Museum, although the museum had no power at all to action or permit salvage, removal or export of war surplus materials pursuant to the War Surplus Materials Act. The committee added that there were two and possibly three salvors operating in the country that have engaged in unlawful conduct while dealing with state property or selling it for their own profit.

RECOVERY OF U.S. WWII AIRCRAFT IN PNG QUESTIONED

By Isaac Nicholas
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, Sept. 13) - An aircraft war wreck was salvaged and shipped out of the country, allegedly using forged documents engineered by the acting director of the National Museum and Art Gallery, Simon Poraituk.

The wreck was believed to have been removed around July despite the National Museum Board of Trustee’s "black ban" on any dealings with salvaging company 75th Squadron Museum.

[PIR editor’s note: According to PIR archives, The World War II bomber aircraft nicknamed the "Swamp Ghost" was to be sent to the United States to be reconstructed and restored to its original form. Under an agreement reached in June, the aircraft was to be returned "when Papua New Guinea finally has the capacity to house and care for all its war materials."]

Board member Andrew Abel made the allegations during the Public Accounts Committee inquiry into the National Museum and Art Gallery yesterday.

Mr. Abel said the board meeting on July 6 had banned all dealings with salvaging companies, including the 75th Squadron.

He also alleged that a lot of board documents, including memorandum of agreements, have been going out without the board’s approval or knowledge.

"Poraituk engineered a MOA and, after this was rectified by the board chairman, he concocted to fraudulent MOA," Abel claimed.

He said with the fraud document in hand, the 75th Squadron Museum went to Wewak and salvaged an aircraft at St. John in Siring.

He said this angered local landowners who signed a letter and sent it through to the National Museum Board of Trustees. He claimed that Poraituk and his management team had worked in isolation with the Board of Trustees.

Abel said the management had sidelined himself, and two other board members Peter Loko and Maria Kopkop.

The accusations brought the ire of Poraituk, who accused Mr. Abal and certain board members of collaborating to discredit him and his management.

"Andrew Abel is working against my management."

Poraituk also attacked the creation of sub-committees within the board, claiming it was illegal and should get a full 13-member board approval.

Another museum officer Mark Katakum, curator of modern history, claimed that he was threatened and forced to sign documents.

Mr. Katakum alleged that a consultant and agent of Aero Archeology Museum, Robert Greinert, had accused him of receiving bribes and forging an export permit for the 75th Squadron.

Acting PAC chairman Dr. Bob Danaya said there was a "web of influence wielded by the 75th Squadron, Greinert and Fred Hagan.

"War surplus is clearly a big business, and how these people were ever allowed to plunder State property is beyond comprehension. It’s a disgrace," Danaya said.

It also emerged that the salvaging companies involved were operating illegally, and were not registered with the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).

IPA chief executive officer Ivan Pomaleu also gave evidence and confirmed that none of the companies involved in salvaging wartime wreckage have registered with the authority.

September 14, 2006

The National: www.thenational.com.pg/

Copyright © 2004 The National Online. All Rights Reserved

PNG STOPS SALE OF WWII ‘SWAMP GHOST’

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post Courier, September 14) – The Papua New Guinea Public Accounts Committee has disallowed the contract for the sale, salvage or export of the controversial Swamp Ghost aircraft.

The Committee yesterday, in its interim findings, emphasized the Swamp Ghost is still the property of the State of Papua New Guinea and the National Museum and Arts Gallery is not an agent or a representative of the state to sell, salvage, remove or export state-owned property as the museum has no power to sell the Swamp Ghost or War Surplus material. The committee found the actions of the museum in selling the Swamp ghost as unlawful and identified about 82 other aircraft or aircraft parts that have been exported from PNG.

A large number of aircraft have been traced to private hands, museums and collectors and the committee found there has been an ongoing international trade in war surplus material illegally obtained and exported from PNG. The committee intends to refer transactions and salvagers and their agents or vendors who sell materials on the open market to the Royal Papua New Guinea Police Force, Foreign Police Forces and International Law Enforcement Agencies.

Some of those materials have been sold on the open market by salvagers The committee also found there were four major salvages that had been operating in the country with the assistance of the National Museum, although the museum had no power at all to action or permit salvage, removal or export of war surplus materials pursuant to the War Surplus Materials Act.

The committee added that there were two and possibly three salvors operating in the country that have engaged in unlawful conduct while dealing with state property or selling it for their own profit.

September 15, 2006

PNG Post Courier Online: www.postcourier.com.pg/

Copyright © 2006 The PNG Post Courier. All Rights Reserved

The lore about Swamp Ghost, I think, wasn't necessarily that it was a B-17. It was a B-17 that was a total time machine from the past. It is so complete, unlike the piles of corroded aluminum you'll find in the jungle

Is it too late to return PNG to the Japanese?

Perhaps the Allies should present the PNG govt. with a bill for the cost of liberating them in WWII

Netherlands New Guinea and the Australian territories were invaded in 1942 by the Japanese. The Australian territories were put under military administration and were known simply as New Guinea. The highlands, northern and eastern parts of the island became key battlefields in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. Papuans often gave vital assistance to the Allies, fighting alongside Australian and US troops, and carrying equipment and injured men across New Guinea.