‘Forged' and ‘fake': PNG sport, business supremo hits out at corruption concerns

The Age

a day ago

The oil and gas boss who led Papua New Guinea's bid for a National Rugby League franchise has blasted corruption concerns about his business dealings as 'baseless claims' designed to discredit the country's historic admission to the Australian competition.
Wapu Sonk on Friday stepped down as a director from the incoming team's board at the request of PNG Prime Minister James Marape, after this masthead uncovered suspect dealings between the Sonk-led Kumul Petroleum Holdings and a Chinese government-controlled entity over the upgrade of a PNG port.
Marape said at the weekend that he ordered an investigation after a letter emerged from March this year from Australian-born Kumul Petroleum project manager Jason Pollock to the Chinese company directing it to use companies owned by Pollock and Sonk.
Sonk is managing director of Kumul Petroleum, PNG's state-owned energy business and the country's largest company.
He declined to answer questions put to him last week by this masthead, but in a statement issued on Monday night, he described the letter as 'fabricated'.
'These claims are based on false information and the matter is being investigated internally within KPHL and will be referred to the police for investigation,' Sonk said.
'I will ensure all these baseless claims are properly addressed, and that those who falsified documents are properly dealt with through legal channels.'
Sonk said he had stood down from the board of the Albanese government-backed PNG NRL team 'to ensure there is no hindrance in progressing our new NRL franchise team forward' and that he would pursue defamation action in Australia to clear his name.