The Parliamentary Bipartisan Committee investigating the anti-Asian rioting in Papua New Guinea is allegedly shocked at reports of corruption and bribery in the Foreign Affairs and Immigration Department.
The Post Courier newspaper reports that senior immigration officials told the committee that officers receive bribes and are involved in other corrupt practices to allow foreigners into Papua New Guinea.
The deputy secretary of Immigration, Elias Woagu and senior officers Delilah Madao and Dominic Ampaoi, say several officers have been penalised for being involved in such illegal activities.
The committee was told more than 15,000 foreigners are estimated to be living illegally in PNG and the immigration department lacks the funding, staffing and technology to be able to deal with them.
The paper reports that the committee will travel around the country for the next two weeks gathering public feedback and then present its findings to Parliament.