Sandline inquiry Commissioner Warwick Andrew will today present his findings and recommendations to Acting Prime Minister John Giheno, but the after-effects of the controversy are still as threatening as the tension and disorder which gripped the country in March when Brigadier General Jerry Singirok took the government to task over the engagement of the Sandline International. DANIEL KORIMBAO writes...
PORT MORESBY: There may not be enough evidence to suggest corruption on the part of the sidelined leaders or the public servants involved in the deal to engage military consultants Sandline International, but the deal itself has left the country in financial tatters.
Sandline was paid US$18 million (K25 million) of the US$36 million deal for two second hand helicopters which are now lying in a heap of dismantled pieces at an air force base in Australia.
The remaining US$18 million which was not transferred from the Roadco account to Hong Kong has been diverted back to consolidated revenue by Acting Prime Minister John Giheno's Cabinet.
But that does not seem to help ease the worsening situation.
Despite Acting Finance Secretary Issac Lupari's assurance of the problems being only for the short term, his department does not seem to have any short term answer for the worsening financial crisis in the Defence Force which Acting Chief of Staff, Colonel Reg Renagi, spoke about last week.
Efforts by troops on Bougainville to keep the rebels at bay are being undermined because military helicopters and planes used to transport supplies to them are grounded, and will remain so for a while due to acute lack of funding faced by the force.
A total of K6.7 million in Defence funds were cut by sidelined Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chris Haiveta early this year to pay Sandline.
Many hospitals throughout the country have reported problems directly linked to lack of funding, with Angau Hospital in Lae facing imminent closure, unless the Government finds urgent funds to keep them afloat.
Mr Haiveta had pumped K2.5 million of Health funds into Roadco to be passed on to Sandline.
Education also had a cut of K2.5 million to help finance Sandline, which has not helped the situation in many schools in the country. The schools have yet to receive their share of the promised government subsidies, and are facing closure.
Other vital areas like the public service, and nearly all the provinces are continuously reporting problems in the implementation of the reforms because of lack of funds, even before the arrival of Sandline, and this would go on for a while despite the forecast of '' dark clouds clearing ''.
Acting Finance Minister Nakikus Konga admitted early this month that the Sandline crisis had put the country's economy back by five to six years, a stunning statement that reportedly did not go down well with the sidelined ministers.
The Opposition failed to seize the opportunity to castigate Mr Giheno and his band of ''actings'', but then the Opposition had been lame all along in their attack on the government on this issue.
It would seem they left it to the NGOs and a band of frustrated soldiers to take the fight to the Chan Government to force him out of government.
Sir Julius Chan voluntarily stepped aside after calming his disgruntled ministers with a pat on the back and soundly defeating the Opposition's motion on the floor of Parliament to unseat him.
Many thought Sandline would deliver a decisive blow to any chances of PPP and Pangu continuing in government after the elections, but the distortion of facts behind the issue by some groups in their anti-Chan campaign is really helping no-one.
In fact, the whole issue may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for PPP, if not the current coalition, as Sir Julius put it while campaigning in Morobe province shortly after he stepped down.
He attracted a lot of sympathy for the stand he took on the floor of Parliament from many hundreds of people while on the campaign trail in his home electorate and province and around the country.
Only Chief Sir Michael Somare seems to have made headway in gaining support while campaigning for his National Alliance candidates around the country on the issue.
Many people have openly voiced support for the Chief to return as Prime Minister for one last time, and observers think he is on track to do just that, although a coalition seems more likely scenario.
Lawyer and political aspirant Rimbink Pato caressed the issue well in canvassing support in the Enga Province for the regional seat he is vying for and for his revived United Party.
His application to the national court to stop the Sandline payment and declare the deal illegal was rejected, which he himself probably expected, but that action elevated his fledgling political stature and signalled the arrival of yet another force in the rough and tumble of PNG politics.
Sandline may well signal the death of some political careers, and beckon the birth of others, but the stalwarts are sure to weather the storm and amble on, regardless of what Commissioner Andrew's report says or what Mr Giheno does with it.