NGO takes stock of growing list of PNG MPs being probed

4:20 pm on 30 March 2015

The chairman of Transparency International Papua New Guinea admits it's becoming hard to keep track of all the members of parliament referred to the public prosecutor.

A view of the government benches in Papua New Guinea's parliament.

Several MPs have been referred to the public prosecutor in this parliamentary term Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades

The Bogia MP, John Hickey, is the latest parliamentarian to be referred to the prosecutor, Pondros Kaluwin, on misconduct charges, mainly related to alleged corruption.

There are at least seven others, including government ministers Francis Awesa, Sir Puka Temu, Ben Micah and Boka Kondra.

Three MPs in the current term have already been jailed on corruption-related charges.

TI PNG's Lawrence Stephens says he can never recall a time when PNG had three MPs in jail.

"But I certainly do recall one of the chief ombudsmen saying once that were he to prosecute all the leaders who were offending, we'd be the laughing stock of the world. The implication of that was that there was much more happening than what was being acted upon."

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor has told local media he is not fazed by an attack on him outside his Port Moresby home a week ago.