Pacific Anti-Corruption Updates - 16 April 2016

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From the UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption (UN-PRAC) Project, a joint four-year initiative of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with support from the Australian Government. Updates shared by Annika Wythes, Luisa Senibulu, Samita Singh, and Mihaela Stojkoska.


PNG:
Supreme Court judge arrested, charged with corruption.  A Supreme Court judge in Papua New Guinea has been arrested and charged with corruption.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/301223/png-supreme-court-judge-arrested,-charged-with-corruption

Attorney General and Justice Minister charged for abuse of office.  Papua New Guinea's Attorney-General Ano Pala has been arrested and charged with abuse of office and misappropriating more than K3 million (US$1 million) in public funds. 
http://www.pina.com.fj/?p=pacnews&m=read&o=253156008570d75210a0ccf8e937c1

Lawyer's arrest adds new dimension to PNG's Paraka saga.  The long-running saga surrounding Paraka lawyers in Papua New Guinea took yet another twist on Monday, this time engulfing a Supreme Court judge and the lawyer representing the Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/301288/lawyer's-arrest-adds-new-dimension-to-png's-paraka-saga

Samoa:
Several face election bribery charges.  Samoa's police minister has denied allegations of bribery brought against him in a private proseuction.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/301361/several-face-election-bribery-charges-in-samoa

Election petition against Samoa's speaker dropped.  The speaker of Samoa's parliament, Le'aupepe Tole'afoa Fa'afisi, says an election petition filed against him over allegations of bribery and treating will be withdrawn.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/301279/election-petition-against-samoa's-speaker-dropped

For more information about the UN-PRAC Project, please get in touch with:
Annika Wythes, Anti-Corruption Adviser - Pacific, UNODC, annika.wythes@unodc.org
Luisa Senibulu, Governance Programme Associate, UNDP/UNODC, luisa.senibulu@undp.org
Samita Singh, Programme Assistant - Anti-Corruption, UNDP/UNODC, samita.singh@undp.org

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