An arrest warrant has been issued against the former prime minister of Papua New Guinea Peter O’Neill on charges of corruption, according to authorities on Tuesday.
Earlier on Friday, the warrant was issued by the Waigani district court for “official corruption”, the statement said that was issued by the acting commissioner of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, David Manning.
O’Neill had been found at Port Moresby’s luxurious Crowne Plaza Hotel but had so far refused to go to the police station, and that he could not “reveal any specific details” about the charges “due to the sensitivity of the investigations”, Manning further said that in a statement.
According to the statement, O’Neill described the charges as a “political move” with “false” and fabricated” charges and claimed he was “not informed or presented with a warrant to appear anywhere today”.
Manning said that police had made contact with O’Neill at the hotel where he was staying and asked him to accompany them to a police station to be processed but the former prime minister had not complied with the request.
“As we speak he has refused to cooperate with police thus far”, Manning said.
In May, O’Neill stepped down as leader of the country after months of political turmoil.
He was replaced by his former finance minister James Marape, who vowed to clean up the government.
(With Inputs from AFP)