Controversial Australian government contractor Paladin is suspected of abusing taxpayer funds to bribe then-Papua New Guinea police minister Jelta Wong to enable the firm to run the federal government’s offshore detention regime. Police documents detail the suspicions and reveal that federal agents seized a phone from a suspected Paladin middleman, uncovering “highly valuable material” for the investigation.
Controversial Australian government contractor Paladin is suspected of abusing taxpayer funds to bribe then-Papua New Guinea police minister Jelta Wong to enable the firm to run the federal government’s offshore detention regime.
The suspicions raise fresh questions not only about the suspected corruption of the offshore detention program by government contractors, but also about the role of Australia’s National Anti-Corruption Commission in investigating the allegations. Nobody has been charged and this masthead is not suggesting a crime has been committed, a finding that can only be made by a court.
Wong denied receiving any payment from Paladin, saying in a statement that he was “surprised and deeply concerned by the allegations”. PNG is a key regional ally of Australia but is caught between Canberra and Beijing in the battle for influence in the Pacific. Wong was among those named as a suspected bribery recipient in an application by the AFP to conduct search and seizure activities in several Australian states, including Queensland.
Corruption Paladin PNG Offshore Detention Bribery
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