Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape’s government is under fire, with Opposition leader James Nomane alleging the Defence Force is being undermined and calling for urgent legal action over a growing scandal.
Nomane accused the Prime Minister of misleading the public and protecting political allies.
“Papua New Guinea’s Defence Force is being dismantled from within by a Prime Minister who lies, covers up, and rewards those who should be dismissed. This deliberate deception at the highest level of government has now been exposed,” he said in a statement on social media.
He claimed the Prime Minister misrepresented actions taken against a senior minister.
“Prime Minister Marape told Papua New Guineans he had sidelined Dr Billy Joseph pending investigation. That was a lie. Billy Joseph has since been formally appointed Minister for Natural Disasters and Climate Change.”
Nomane said the government’s handling of the issue reflects a pattern.
“Consistent with its track record of deception, this government promotes political expediency by not remove failing ministers; but repackaging them. Political survival supersedes accountability, every time.”
He also rejected the legitimacy of the current investigation.
“The investigation itself is a fraud. The Prime Minister’s internal administrative probe purportedly assisted by an Australian Defence Force official is not, and cannot be, a substitute for a General Board of Inquiry (GBOI) as prescribed under Section 51 of the Defence Act 1974 and the Defence (Boards of Inquiry) Regulations 1978.”
“A GBOI compels evidence under oath and delivers legally binding findings. An internal review has none of those powers. The Prime Minister is not following the rulebook. He is writing his own, to protect his own.”
Nomane highlighted what he described as inconsistent application of the law.
“The double standard is damning. When the Kupiano incident occurred in July 2023, the Prime Minister invoked Section 6(3)(b) of the Defence Act 1974 and suspended Commander Major General Goina as part of procedural compliance.”
“Now, facing a far graver corruption scandal, that same procedural rigour has vanished entirely. Why? Because this scandal does not threaten the government — it serves it.”
He alleged the recruitment controversy was politically motivated.
“The recruitment scandal was not administrative failure. It was deliberate electoral engineering, by stacking the Defence Force ahead of the 2027 National General Elections with recruits loyal to political masters rather than the nation.”
Nomane said the issue reflects broader governance concerns.
“Transparency International’s 2026 Corruption Perceptions Index scored Papua New Guinea at just 26 out of 100 — our lowest in a decade.”
He also raised concerns about conflicts of interest at the highest level.
“The Prime Minister cannot serve as Acting Defence Minister while being a relative of Secretary John Akipe. That conflict of interest corrupts every proceeding he purports to oversee, especially when both sit on the Defence Council.”
The Opposition is calling for immediate action.
“The Opposition’s position is unequivocal: sack Dr Billy Joseph; sack the Defence Secretary; suspend the Commander and Deputy Commander pending a properly constituted GBOI under Section 51 of the Defence Act 1974, comprising of former Brigadier Generals and Judges. These are not political demands. They are legal necessities.”
Nomane warned the issue goes to the heart of democracy and governance.
“Papua New Guinea is not a personal fiefdom for the Prime Minister. The Defence Force is not a campaign army. The 2027 election will not be won through the barrel of a stacked recruitment list.”
He said public scrutiny will continue.
“We are watching. The people are watching. And the law has not yet finished speaking,” said Nomane.
