- Title: File footage of former PNG PM Peter O'Neill as warrant issued for his arrest
- Date: 15th October 2019
- Summary: Papua New Guinea's rival prime ministers ended a political feud in July 2012, saying they will join forces to try to form a new government in a surprise twist to the South Pacific nation's national elections. The peace deal meant O'Neill was the leader most likely to head the new government and form a coalition after elections, with backing from his rival Somare. PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FILE - JULY 24, 2012) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** (SOUNDBITE) (English) PAPUA NEW GUINEA'S PRIME MINISTER, PETER O'NEILL, SAYING: "I want to take this opportunity to thank our founding father of our country, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare for joining us, making sure that we provide a government that is truly deserving for Papua New Guinea with all the stability that it deserves." SOMARE AND O'NEILL SEATED AT TABLE WITH OTHER POLITICIANS STANDING BEHIND THEM O'Neill won with support from an overwhelming 94 of the nation's 111 members of parliament after he joined forces with Somare. PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FILE - AUGUST 3, 2012) (REUTERS) O'NEILL AND FORMER PRIME MINISTER MICHAEL SOMARE WALKING UP STAIRS O'NEILL TOASTING WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT O'NEILL SITTING WITH JULIUS CHAN (LEFT) AND GOVERNOR GENERAL MICHAEL OGIO AND SIR MICHAEL SOMARE (RIGHT) WITH POLITICIANS STANDING BEHIND O'NEILL SHAKING HANDS WITH VARIOUS POLITICIANS O'NEILL AND SOMARE HAVING PHOTO TAKEN O'Neill welcomed Britain's Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall to a State Dinner in November 2012, staged in their honour in Papua New Guinea's capital city, Port Moresby. The royal couple made their tour of Papua New Guinea as part of a 13-day Pacific tour to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee. PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FILE - NOVEMBER 4, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) O'NEILL TALKING TO THE DUCHESS OF CORNWALL, CAMILLA
- Embargoed: 29th October 2019 07:31
- Keywords: Papua New Guinea Peter O'Neill arrest warrant
- Location: PORT MORESBY, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, HIGHLANDS REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA / HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES / BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA / IWAKI, JAPAN / PARIS, FRANCE / BEIJING, CHINA
- City: PORT MORESBY, SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS, HIGHLANDS REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA / HONOLULU, HAWAII, UNITED STATES / BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA / IWAKI, JAPAN / PARIS, FRANCE / BEIJING, CHINA
- Country: Papua New Guinea
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA004B18BWAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Papua New Guinea police have issued an arrest warrant for former prime minister Peter O'Neill on suspicion of "official corruption" but he was declining to cooperate with police handling the case, the acting police commissioner said on Tuesday (October 15).
The warrant, issued last Friday (October 11), stemmed from an investigation, however police gave no details of what O'Neill was wanted for, citing the sensitivity of investigations.
O'Neill quit as prime minister in May after seven years in the top job amid a wave of discontent over a perceived lack of wealth flowing from major resource projects, and complaints about corruption, which he denied.
A senior police official asked O'Neill, who was at the Crowne Plaza hotel in the PNG capital of Port Moresby on Tuesday morning, to go with him to a police station to be processed.
A spokesman for Prime Minister James Marape, who took over from O'Neill in May, was not immediately available to comment.
O'Neill was elected as Prime Minister in 2012 and 2017, making infrastructure and better roads a priority for the island nation. He led Papua New Guinea to hold the APEC (Asian Pacific Economic Council) Summit in 2018, developing strong relationships with the United States and China.
(Production: James Redmayne) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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