A senior official of Papua New Guinea's Department of Commerce and Industry has been suspended and referred to the police fraud squad over the payment of more than one million US dollars to a landowner company representative of portion 152, the plant site of the PNG liquefied natural gas project.
The Post Courier reports that the Commerce and Industry Minister, Gabriel Kapris, took the action following a payment to the Boera Rearea Porebada Papa Development Corporation Ltd on September the 1st, well ahead of the scheduled payment period last week.
The Corporation representative who picked up the cheque has also been referred to the fraud squad to be investigated.
Mr Kapris has also instructed the Bank of South Pacific to stop payment on the cheque.