Two senior electoral officers suspended

Two senior officers of the Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission have been suspended for serious allegations in office.

They are former acting Electoral Commissioner Margaret Vagi and deputy Kila Vaname.

With six months remaining before the issue of Writs in April, the body responsible for conducting elections is under public scrutiny, following the internal suspension of the two Deputy Commissioners.

Concerns have been raised that their suspension will affect election planning and preparations, adding it may be politically motivated.

NBC National News visited the PNGEC headquarters, and confirmed the suspension, however officers were reluctant to release any further information.

A statement was later released by the Electoral Commissioner Dr Nicole Haley, who is currently overseas, confirming that administrative actions have been taken, which includes the suspension of several senior officers in the interest of sound public financial management.

She said the suspension is an outcome of ongoing audit preparation activities, including the initial review of the PNGEC's financial and administrative records for the period 2020 - 2026.

This also raises questions about the initial K50 million released by the Finance Department for election preparation.

Dr Haley says the Commission found serious administrative and financial irregularities demanding immediate intervention to safeguard public funds, state assets and the integrity of the institution.

Meantime, Chairman of the Special Parliamentary Committee on Elections, Allan Bird says the suspension of the two senior heads of the Commission is deeply concerning, with elections few months away.

He said a parliamentary inquiry will be conducted in the next two weeks into the matter and others.