28 Jan 2003

Top Bougainville leader denies link with U-Vistract principal move to Solomons

6:16 pm on 28 January 2003

The leader of the Bougainville People's Congress, Joseph Kabui, has denied claims that he helped the failed U-Vistract pyramid scheme to expand from Papua New Guinea to Solomon Islands.

The scheme's principals are in Honiara, saying they entered into a deal with the Solomon Islands government of Sir Allan Kemakeza with the help of top Bougainville leaders.

One of the principals, Noah Musingku, says he will clear a promised 350 million US dollar grant for the Solomons government by February 10th through his banks which are based on Bougainville.

And he says he has broad support on Bougainville.

"We have support from both sides from Francis Ona faction and Joe Kabui faction and everybody else in Bouganville."

But our correspondent in Port Moresby, Peter Niesi, says Mr Kabui rejects the alleged association.

Mr Kabui has emphatically stated that at no state since he first met U-Vistract principals Noah Musingku and Mesach Autahe was any such arrangement discussed for U-Vistract to extend its operation to the Solomon Islands.

Peter Niesi reporting