Mekamui statement on plane over PNG government
A Message from the MDF:
It was rumoured that in response and in answer to the PNG Governments bureaucratic delays and endeavours to hamper Private Australian Led humanitarian help for medical clinic developers bringing in crucial humanitarian services to the island of Bougainville, the Unknown people of Bougainville or persons from the Meekamui Government flew an unmarked helicopter over the PNG Government offices yesterday of PNG Minister of Intergovernmental relations Sir Peter Barter, and urinated from a great height along with dropping human excrement on the PNG offices.
Clive Porabou, Spokesman of the MDF when asked for comment stated "that it was highly unlikely and if true, would be disgruntled people acting themselves against the unwanted actions of Sir Peter Barter of the PNG Governmental relations certainly not the MDF". Clive Continued Bougainville Independency steps are conducted by the Meekamui Government without any want for hostilities and stated further "our intent & purposes are meant to stick and do not enter into such things".
In closing the MDF spokesman said that the comments of the articles about the peoples guests arriving in the country for humanitarian purposes being establishing clinics are true, but the fact that such propaganda that these private parties funding anything as mentioned is totally nonsense. No such promises by these individuals were made at any time whatsoever to pay any individual in the country or to conduct any road infrastructures nor solicitation of any fund been made.
News reports regarding the incident:
Postcourier, 11 Oct 04
Jet owner's passport held
POLICE have the passport belonging to the owner of the controversial Citation jet that allegedly landed at the decommissioned Aropa airport recently.
Deputy Police Commissioner Gari Baki told the Post-Courier Andrew Reid surrendered his passport to police after he was asked to on Friday.
Mr Baki also said the passport would be handed to the Department of Foreign Affairs this morning as they have requested for further questioning and investigations.
"We got the passport and we are holding onto it, which means he cannot travel out," Mr Baki said.
"We will hand over the passport to Foreign Affairs tomorrow (today) because they have requested for it and they will further question Mr Reid tomorrow morning (today).
"On the whereabouts of the other two, they are still at large but as you said, we cannot rule out crossing over the Solomon Island border. We will have to wait for our men on the ground to give us the report."
But the Mekamui Defence Force hierarchy advised the Post-Courier last Friday that the two men - Australian Jeff Richards and a Briton, James Nessbit - were "safe and sound" in the "No-Go Zone" area.
They could not further elaborate on the issue but maintained the jet and the people on board were asked by the MDF civil aviation hierarchy to land at Aropa solely on humanitarian grounds. PNG Civil Aviation Authority chief executive officer Andrew Ogil said the plane was still grounded in Tokua. Mr Ogil said plans were underway to arrange with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia for the transfer of the jet.
"The issue is not as easy as you think. We are still talking to our lawyers but my position is clear, they breached the CAA Act and the rules and that is why I am grounding the plane," Mr Ogil said.
"We will release the plane until such time he is cleared, the company is cleared and until they clarify what they meant by saying that this trip was an aerial tour of Buka - eventually landing at the decommissioned Aropa airport".
ABC Online
Last Update: Friday, October 8, 2004. 8:33am (AEST)
Australian 'prince' wanted over unauthorised flight
A self-styled Australian 'prince' is at the centre of a controversy in Papua New Guinea, over unauthorised flights to the province of Bougainville.
The man is one of two people PNG police want to speak to about a flight into a disused airstrip on the island. One of two men who left an unauthorised flight that arrived at Aropa on Bougainville late last week was Jeff Richards, also known as Prince Jeff of Mogilno.
He is believed to be inside Francis Ona's no-go zone around the former Panguna copper mine.
There he is said to be investigating sites for possible aid posts or hospitals at the invitation of Mr Ona's Me'ekamui government.
Mr Richards has been linked to Noah Musingku, the wanted promoter of illegal fast money schemes in PNG and Solomon Islands, who is also inside the no-go zone at Panguna.
PNG authorities want to speak to Mr Richards, and a British man, James Nessbit, about their unconventional arrival on Bougainville.