A defiant Foreign Affairs Minister Justin Tkatchenko says he will not resign over the furore surrounding his daughter Savannah’s TikTok video that has angered Papua New Guineans across the country.

In an interview with the PNG Post-Courier, Tkatchenko said: “I will not be resigning over something she has not done or used public funds for.”

“Yes what she did was not appropriate at the time. However, what she did for PNG in representing the country was welcomed by all who met her.”

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In two separate videos shared on social media platforms, Savannah Tkatchenko was seen as “flaunting and showing off” by many who viewed the videos in the midst of recent news of the spending of taxpayers’ money amounting to K3 million (NZ$2.7 million) on the trip to the King Charles III Coronation last week.

When asked on the spending money allocated to the travelling team from the Foreign Affairs office, Tkatchenko said: “K25,000 is equivalent to £5000. That money is given for accommodation, food, and other necessities that may be needed.

“The daily allowance given to everyone who travels and is regulated by the Public Service,” he added.

“Let me remind everyone that three months ago, I have banned travel by any other Foreign Affairs personnel unless it has been approved by the Secretary or my office.

Calls for PNG foreign minister Justin Tkatchenko to be sacked and have his citizenship stripped after labeling critics of his daughter’s TikTok video “primitive animals”.

It comes less than 2 weeks before US President Joe Biden visits PNG. https://t.co/QMJnHgXjTP

— Marian Faa (@marianfaa) May 11, 2023

Foreign Affairs contingent
“I had with me my daughter, my bodyguard and my protocol officer. We travelled as part of the Foreign Affairs contingent and not as part of the Governor-General’s contingent.”

Tkatchenko further explained the circumstances surrounding the trip and how his daughter joined him.

When it was made known that Prime Minister James Marape would not be travelling, a notice was given to Buckingham Palace that I would take his place. An invitation was sent for myself and my spouse to travel,” Tkatchenko said.

“However, my wife could not travel with me, and thus, I took my daughter. We advised Buckingham Palace of the changes and Buckingham Palace approved my plus one,” he added.

“There is nothing wrong with what happened, my daughter did not misuse any public funds and that has all been totally misrepresented.”

“She is traumatised and her character has been defamed. She understands what she has done, and I did speak to her and told her it was not appropriate for her to take that video,” the minister added.

Minister Tkatchenko said: “It was upon my advice that she deleted her TikTok account and she is aware of what she has done.”

“Again, I reiterate I will not resign.”

Miriam Zarriga is a PNG Post-Courier journalist. Republished with permission.

Publicly funded Hilton Hotel at the centre of a financial black hole | PNGi

“It was APEC Minister, Justin Tkatchenko’s landscaping company, PNG Gardener that reportedly supplied many of the plants that adorn the site.” https://t.co/KYe0gaIfuG

— Stret Pasin (@Stret_Pasin) May 10, 2023

Radio New Zealand International’s presenter of Dateline Pacific, Don Wiseman, has suggested Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva’s son read the New Zealand broadcaster’s website more carefully before accusing it of media bias.

This comes after an attack on the region’s media by Siosiua Po’oi Pohiva, who acts as his father’s personal assistant.

In a press release, the prime minister’s personal assistant demanded journalists critical of his father’s government apologise to King Tupou VI and the Tongan people.

Siosiua singled out RNZI, Taimi o Tonga and publisher Kalafi Moala, Pacific Freedom Forum head Monica Miller and Pacific Islands News Association’ Moses Stevens for their coverage and comments on the removal of former Tonga Broadcasting Commission (TBC) General Mananger Nanise Fifita.

Wiseman, who is also RNZI’s deputy news editor, said he found Siosiua’s version of events “extraordinarily partial”.

“There are a number of statements from your father and other people that you have chosen ignore. I think a more thorough read of our website will help,” he said.

Fifita’s removal has been widely seen by the Pacific media as being the result of Prime Minister Pohiva’s feud with the TBC over what he perceives as biased reporting against his government.

Tongan integrity ‘damaged’
Siosiua has painted those who have been critical of the removal of Fifita as being aligned with the government’s enemies.

He said they should also apologise to his father and the Tongan government “for the damage they had caused on Tonga’s integrity”.

“Journalists and media groups in Tonga, New Zealand and the Pacific region began attacking the prime minister and his government, accusing them of threatening media freedom in Tonga,” he said.

“Those who were pro-establishment and who did not support the democratic reforms led by ‘Akilisi Pohiva are now those of who are against the new government and its new administration.”

Siosiua accused the prime minister’s critics of using the issue of media freedom to increase their profits and help their friends in the TBC.

In his press release, Siosiua referred to Lord Chief Justice Paulsen’s findings on Fifita’s application for a judicial review. The review examined the Minister of Public Enterprise’s declaration that her reappointment was void and the notice of TBC advising her of that decision.

Siosiua quoted Lord Chief Justice Paulsen as saying her reappointment was void because it required the minister’s approval, which was never obtained.

Sympathy for Fifita
However, as Kaniva News reported at the time, Lord Chief Justice Paulsen also said he had considerable sympathy for Fifita.

“She has, by all accounts, been an excellent employee,” he said.

The judge described her as “a long term, loyal and able servant of TBC” who had been general manager since October 2008.

In his report on the case, the judge said he made no comment as to whether she might still have remedies available to her in respect of any failings of the board of TBC to obtain the minister’s approval to her reappointment.

Dr Philip Cass is a research associate with the Pacific Media Centre and associate editor of Pacific Journalism Review. He is a senior lecturer at Unitec Institute of Technology and is a regular contributor for Kaniva Tonga.

• Former TBC head loses Supreme Court case over dismissal from top job
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Papua New Guinea’s prime minister, Peter O’Neill, has successfully obtained a stay order in the Supreme Court preventing his arrest.

This comes pending a review of the 2014 arrest warrant issued, despite a recent ruling in the National Court stating it is not reviewable.

The PNG Post Courier reports an urgent stay application was filed following Tuesday’s decision by National Court Justice Collin Makail.

A lawyer representing the Prime Minister, Mal Varitimos QC, appealed the matter after highlighting inconsistencies in the August 8 ruling in which Justice Makail dismissed a three-year-old stay order on O’Neill’s arrest warrant.

Yesterday, Varitimos submitted that among the inconsistencies, Justice Makail overlooked Supreme Court binding case references.

These binding references relate to former Attorney General Ano Pala’s appeal against his 2014 warrant of arrest, an order by the District Court where the Supreme Court upheld it saying it was reviewable by the National Court.

In a 2014 decision of the five-men bench of the supreme court — considering the power, functions, duties and responsibilities of the police commissioner — it ruled a warrant of arrest was amendable as opposed to Justice Makail’s ruling.

Arrest warrant challenged
The Supreme Court considered the question of whether the police commissioner had a sufficient standing to seek leave for judicial review of the decision to use the arrest warrant, which is subject to the current challenge.

The submission by Varitimos claims binding references were erroneously over-looked and as a result Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia granted the stay orders.

The PNG Post-Courier also reports police commissioner Gari Baki will be inviting O’Neill for an interview in light of Justice Makail’s August 8 ruling.

“As Commissioner of Police, I welcome the decision of the court as it now paves the way for us to move forward on this matter.

“Since the Court decision I have had consultations with my senior officers on the case and as the Commissioner of Police, myself, to invite the Prime Minister to come in for an interview.

“I want the people of Papua New Guinea to appreciate that this is a very sensitive and delicate matter involving the Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

“The interview is not a requirement by law but an existing and established protocol the constabulary has engaged over the years for leaders and high profile people,” Baki said.

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• PM’s arrest warrant stayed

Papua New Guinea’s National Court has dismissed stay orders preventing the arrest of Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

This means police can now execute the arrest on the prime minister.

This comes after a judicial review in relation to the June 2014 warrant of arrest for the prime minister which was dismissed by Justice Collin Makail in the Waigani National Court yesterday.

The former police commissioner Geoffrey Vaki had challenged the legality of the warrant of arrest that was issued by the District Court by chief magistrate Nerrie Eliakim on June 12,  2014.

Despite the judgment made on the dismissal yesterday morning, a second attempt by the prime minister’s lawyer in the afternoon to delay the court orders for 14 days was made but failed.

Justice Makail said it was an abuse of court process and another attempt by the defendant to delay the court process.

Justice Makail said the defendant has the re-course in the Supreme Court.

Outside the court, director for National and Anti-Corruption, Mathew Damaru said it was now up to the police to issue a warrant of arrest.

Damaru said that the onus was on the police commissioner to act on the warrant and that it was out of respect of the office to leave it to commissioner Gari Baki to act on the warrant.

On June 12, 2014, a warrant of arrest was issued by Eliakim on the application of officers of the National Fraud Squad and Anti-Corruption Directorate.

This was in relation to allegations of official corruption made against the prime minister in relation to monetary benefits for Paul Paraka lawyers.

Loop PNG reports O’Neill’s lawyers will be appealing the National Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.

Nellie Setepano is a reporter with the PNG Post-Courier.

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The tenth sitting of parliament suffered a delay and tensions broke out between Nick Kuman from the People’s National Congress and Lukas Dekena of the PNG party over who was the MP-elect for the Gumine seat, Radio New Zealand International reports.

EMTV News reports there was “commotion” as both members refused to move from their seat when asked by parliamentary staff to do so.

Dekena was declared on July 28 and Kuman on July 30, so the matter is currently before the court.

Due to such issues and the fact several seats are still to be declared — only 105 of the 111 writs have been returned — Kerenga Kua, MP-elect for Sinasina-Yonggamugl Open, visibly voiced his concerns, urging the Chief Justice to stop proceedings as members of the Alliance and PNC yelled at one another from across the room.

This prompted his Alliance colleagues to stand in solidarity with him before things eventually calmed down as newly elected MPs were sworn in.

O’Neill was the only candidate put forward by PNC after the party was invited to do so by new speaker Joe Pomat (PNC) on advice of the Governor-General, Loop PNG reports.

PNC holds majority
Pomat beat Allan Marat of the Melanesian Liberal Party 60 votes to 46, while PNC was invited to nominate a candidate for Prime Minister because the PNC coalition had the majority of seats (60), compared to the Alliance’s 47, EMTV reported just after 10am.

Both camps had been confident they had the numbers going into the sitting.

O’Neill’s appointment marks the end of Papua New Guinea’s tumultuous election period which began in April.

The country’s 2017 general election has been marred with electoral roll issues, shortages of ballot papers, disputed ballot boxes and violence, as reported by Asia Pacific Report.

For those wanting a change of government, the only consolation seems to be the decrease in O’Neill’s majority and the Alliance’s determination to stand by “the cry of the people” following a press conference.

Kua said the Alliance is not a lost cause and O’Neill’s government can expect to be “taken to task” over every policy.

With several seats still undeclared, the make-up of Papua New Guinea’s tenth parliament is still to be cemented.

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