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WE cannot say, with any sigh of relief, “at long last” because the invoking of 457 by Minister Carr to render Wartoto a fugitive playing hide and seek between Australia and PNG doesn’t at all mean there aren’t other similar scoundrels enjoying the fruits of their corrupt lifestyle still in Australia; or that others will not emerge and hide under the cover of 457 in the future.
WE cannot also say, with any sense of satisfaction, “it’s about time” because Wartoto and his associates had the luxury of time to further their interests afield such as in the Asian and Pacific countries mentioned.
Crime boss?? Is this reference about how he must have followers and associates in a crime syndicate of which he is the nominal or real main man? Or is it a reference to how much he has obtained and amassed from the national coffers and how he has evaded and fooled authorities with his errands between PNG and Australia. Wartoto must have associates and we have read in the past that the Member for Pomio as Minister for National Planning was a close and beneficial associate from projects for which tenders were corruptly awarded or approved. Kerevat National High School comes to mind. And the advance of some K30 million (?) to start up the Wartoto airline (Mangki Ples???) is another in which Member for Pomio had both his hands in.
Now, in more recent times, the present Minister for Foreign Affair’s has been mentioned in the print media, by name. Why should, or how would, any decision on Wartoto’s 457 status be linked to the Manus detention centre? Many PNGn’s cannot buy the argument that the inevitable was delayed “because of the Gillard government’s desire not to upset PNG government members who support the Manus Island asylum seeker detention centre.” The fact is Wartoto is not from Manus and does not own any of the land where the detention centre is on Manus. THE only reason for the delay or reprieve for Wartoto by Australia may be because of his links to and with Minister Pato. Wartoto was thrown in as a red herring by linking him to the negotiations on the Manus site.
It’d be interesting to find out if during his business adventure to fill the yawning gap in Australia for corporate managers whether Mr Wartoto has not short-changed customers/clients or left bad debts with other businesses in Cairns.
If Mr Wartoto is or was ”a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community” what are we supposed to make of him in PNG? May be, a menace like a bull let loose by politicians in a candy shop that has no regard to anybody or anything, causing untold damage to the reputation of the country, his family and the community he comes from in ENB!
Just watch Rimbink Pato’s next act.
