PB COOK ISLANDS HERALD16 September 2015 $2 (incl VAT) Congratulations to Woman of the Month, Cecilia Tina Rere-Wichman. Featured here with pearl earrings and a necklace from Cakes for Goldmine. all ocassions! Her story is inisde. Edgewater Cakes Enquiries call us on 25435 extn 7010 Sunset BarBQs at the Shipwreck Hut Saturday Seafood menu with Jake Numanga on the Ukulele 6pm Tuesday Sunset BBQ with Garth Young on Piano 6pm Thursday Sunset Cocktails with Rudy Aquino 5.30pm-7.30pm Reservations required 22 166 Aroa Beachside Inn, Betela Great Food, Great Entertainment Always the best selection, best price & best service at Goldmine! POWERBALL RESULTS Drawn:10/9/15 Draw num: 1008 PB TATTSLOTTO RESULTS Drawn: 12/9/15 Draw num: 3563 SUPP: OZLOTTO RESULTS Drawn: 15/9/15 Draw num: 1126 Next draw: SUPP: Cook islands Herald 16 September 2015 news 2 Lies, lies and more Schoonergate cover ups exposed Mike Henry claims money reimbursed to government he emerging facts related Puna’s manipulation of the law to the Schoonergate imposing checks and balancing Tscandal has revealed scales of the Country provide him the depth of corruption the CIP with a badge of immunity that government has embellished. The he abuses with an arrogance of pretence and palatable excuses an untouchable, even the Chief have failed to evoke redemptive Justice Tom Weston is on record behaviour which has left a heralding Puna as being beyond disbelieving public simmering corruption. with repressed hostility. Lies and Puna is a Prime Minister more lies have constricted the in name but an autocratic government’s wriggle foot print. President in practise because he The secrecy shrouded Cook is allowed to be, his fear filled Islands Party government peers and subordinates offer no has become a laboratory for resistance but blind obedience corruption unprecedented in to the corrupt leader of a corrupt the history of Cook Islands self CIP government. Money and governance. The Prime Minister position are preferred to personal Henry Puna has led a revolution values and integrity, condoning of persistently challenging the compromise sees no wrong with constraints and boundaries of our the avalanche of corruption that replica of Westminster democracy is gradually being normalised and that has evolved into a President socially integrated. structured administration. Added to Puna’s aura of Unchallenged despite the secrecy and invincibility is the regularity of his blatant flouting complete failure of the weak of the laws and the principles of Democratic Party Opposition good governance Puna Prime spinelessly led by politically Minister has gradually evolved impotent William Heather and into Puna President and an the convicted fraudster Eddy autocratic one at that. In practise Drollet. Neither of them inspires the modus operandi of the Puna the masses they could administer administration is anything but a Mike Henry a credible government. Had it not democracy. the cabinet, he and his loyal to pass a Bill before the House, a been for a fearless media doing Puna has ripped the heart out devotee Mark Brown assisted by complaint to the Police returned the existing purpose of the tax of our democracy by virtually a third Minister the unelected an acknowledgement the funded Opposition the reality relegating Parliament to the too appointee Richard Neves make CIP Government’s taxing was of the depth of corruption the hard basket of inconvenience. up a tripartite unaccountable unlawful. Country is submerged in would Once the active forum for the to only themselves. Puna has It took six months for Crown Law be an unfocused blur. voice of the people through elevated himself above the law and the Police to conspire then The reality is Heather and Drollet their elected representatives, and out of reach of our lame duck advise the complainant there was are an asset and not a liability to silence is the CIP government’s watchdog institutions. When insufficient evidence to charge the corrupt CIP government, their imposed fate of our House of the CIP taxed local pensioners those responsible despite the fact juvenile enactment of opposition Representatives. without the legislated provision government acted unlawfully. In politics is reminiscent of the BBC Puna has a cabinet within to do so other than the intention the meantime the Bill got passed. Continued next page PB Cook islands Herald 16 September 2015 news 3 TV comedy programmes Fawlty than apologise for misleading multimillion dollar Te Mato Vai or with PSL. Towers and the Two Ronnies. the people he made every effort the Ministry of Marine Resources Mark Brown justified This week more facts to justify his unethical stance. A and fishing licences? Henry is awarding the charter contract concerning the Schoonergate lie is a lie and sufficient for the the Chairman of CIIC who is to PSL including the substantial scandal have been unearthed by Public Service Commissioner influential in awarding stage two advanced payment based on a relentless media. Last Friday Russell Thomas to suspend Neves TMV contracts. Henry’s verbal due diligence 11 September 2015 Mike Henry otherwise the PSC should restrain Puna’s cousin, the newly because Brown moralised the CIP was at Trader Jacks Bar claiming himself from promoting his Public appointed Business and government preferred to support to anyone and everyone who Service of Excellent mantra. Investment Trade Board (BTIB) local companies. would begrudgingly listen to him Neves’ irregular contracting of CEO, Teariki Vakalalabure fudged Brown has a close relationship his PSL Company had reimbursed an untried unregistered company the status of PSL, while he said with his friend Mike Henry (They the advance payment. While was dismissed as an oversight by quote “PSL is registered with BTIB consider themselves CIP royalty) believable the truth of Henry’s Henry but it was evident Neves as a foreign enterprise,” he failed and is unconvincing in his hedging claims need to be verified by is a grossly overpaid ($6,000 a to say it “was,” as when PSL got of the facts. Brown was the Neves through a credible third week) sloppy operator. deregistered it no longer legally Minister for BTIB when PSL was party fully independent of the Now that the shareholding existed therefore it’s Foreign granted their foreign enterprise untrusting CIP government. composition for PSL is clarified it Enterprise Licence ceased. licence on the 30 August 2012. So The smudged fact Neves lied to is evident Mike Henry is the front Lawyer Vakalalabure is well for what reason was he claiming the people of the Cook Island on a man for this $100 company that aware PSL is operating illegally PSL was a locally owned company live Radio Cook Islands broadcast Henry said had 23 people mostly unless they resubmit a new foreign who deserved government’s about an advanced payment to Cook Islanders investing $1.6 enterprise licence application along help? No doubt Brown will refute PSL raises the question of what million. with their $750 fee. If Vakalalabure an informant’s claim that as the else has he lied to the public. Can Mike Henry prove none insists PSL‘s licence has never BTIB Minister at the time he In a response to Tony Hakaoro of this money was sourced from lapsed can he verify they fulfilled suggested the PSL application be live on Radio Cook Islands the the Peoples Republic of China their annual obligations as required fast tracked and recommended unashamed Neves said he was investors who have connections in their terms and conditions? As for approval. Or will Brown feign comfortable with his performance to the Cook Islands Investment the former compliance manager a another seizer of amnesia? relative to Schoonergate, rather Corporation (CIIC) through the VakalalabureOverdue should payments be familiar - George Pitt Sometimes customersSWITCH ask how ON long they WITH have to settle an account and avoid disconnection. The Spread sheet of diagram shows the system we follow for dealing with outstanding accounts or unpaid bills. Letters are sent rangingTe Aponga from a first friendly Uira reminder to a final notice which is followed by costs a shocker disconnection if the bill remains unpaid. uring the just Overduecompleted payments 50th Anniversary celebrations Overdue payments roving Ambassador Nick Henry’s budget spreadsheet Dof $250,000.00Sometimes was released customers and apart ask howfrom long the theymany have to settle an account and avoid disconnection. The questionable invoice diagrampayments, shows two stoodthe system out stronger we follow than for anydealin g with outstanding accounts or unpaid bills. st nd rd other. OVERDUE Phone call 1 Reminder 2 Reminder 3 Reminder Nick Henry brother Lettersof Schoonergate are sent ranging kingpin from Mike a firstHenry friendly was reminder to a finalACCOUNT notice which is followed by Letter Letter Letter collecting a salary of disconnection$1530.00 per ifweek. the billThis remains was both unpaid. his gross wages and his net wages. Whether he will be filing income tax returns for his income will be interesting to observe and whether Neves even considers it important will be another. But most people will probably say that tax is not for the likes of the Henry’s st nd rd OVERDUE Phone call 1 Reminder 2 Reminder 3 Reminder to pay, it’s for everyone else instead to pay. DISCONNECTION ACCOUNT Letter Letter Letter The other interesting invoice payment is 21 singers paid to fly here on Air New Zealand at a cost of $38,991.10 that’s an average of $1856.71 per person. Were they paid while they were here? At that amount it appears they all travelled business class. Are some of these the same people that went to Manihiki and increased Manihiki’s population perhaps in preparation for a snap DISCONNECTION election? See spread sheet on pages 10 and 15.