Papua New Guinea's prime minister has ordered a probe into the sale of the official High Commissioner's residence in Wellington.
PNG PM Peter O'Neill Photo: AFP / Peter Parks
The Post Courier newspaper reported Peter O'Neill ordered the investigation to determine what happened to the proceeds from the sale.
The residence at 46 Rama Crescent in Kandallah was sold in 2014, during the tenure of the previous High Commissioner Bill Dihm, for more than $US580,000 ($US586,278).
Earlier reports alleged Mr Dihm and his executives sold the property without proper documentation and without the knowledge of the PNG government.
But Mr Dihm, who retired last week in Port Moresby, told the Post Courier, the money was remitted to the PNG Department of Finance.
PNG's minister of foreign affairs and trade, Rimbink Pato, also defended the former high commissioner saying there was no illegal issue surrounding the sale of the property and that the funds had been accounted for.
Mr Pato said he was waiting for a final report from the current High Commissioner Francis Agwi on the matter before making any major statement.