PAPUA New Guinean police have appealed to three MPs to come forward for questioning about allegations ranging from corruption to attempted murder.
One of the MPs, former foreign and planning minister Paul Tiensten, fled to Brisbane last week after being served with a summons to answer questions over the misappropriation of funds at the department of planning.
Police Superintendent Dominic Kakas said in a statement police were also looking for East Sepik Governor Peter Wararu over allegations of attempted murder and theft.
Police also wanted to speak to Francis Potape about alleged misappropriation of funds in his electorate of Komo-Magarima.
"We have... written to them to make themselves available at the various police stations for interviews regarding a number of ongoing police investigations," Supt Kakas said.
"They have however frustrated the process by not turning up as requested on a number of occasions so I am appealing to them as leaders to come in and help police with our investigations."
The three MPs being sought by police were supporters of the government of Sir Michael Somare, which was ousted on August 2 after a vote on the floor of parliament.
Supt Kakas denied the move to question them was politically motivated.
The six-week-old government of Peter O'Neill has announced the establishment of an Independent Commission Against Corruption and a corruption investigation task force.
Mr O'Neill used his Independence Day speech on Friday to restate the case for effective corruption watchdogs.
"The best way to wage war against corruption is to significantly increase the prospects of detection, and successful prosecutions," he said.
"That is what the new commission will be charged with doing.
Transparency International's PNG Chairman Laurie Stephens said he was reserving judgment on the O'Neill government's anti-corruption drive because so many members of the former government were now serving in the alliance of 70 MPs that elevated Mr O'Neill to the top job.
"There have been many questions about the government headed by Michael Somare, and there will be many questions about whatever government is in place here.
"We would not single out one group of people as being the cause of the problems of the country. The problems of the country stem from the behaviour of a huge number of elected leaders, the public service people and a complicit public that have allowed these things to take place."
A leaked US embassy cable from April 2006 showed diplomatic staff were highly critical of the Somare government.
The cable, which was released as part of the WikiLeaks online dump in early September, noted Sir Michael had sidelined three of his most effective cabinet ministers, who could have been expected to resist irresponsible moves to pass out favours.
"These events just confirm that PNG's political institutions are still a long way from producing national leaders with incentives to work in their nation's interest," the cable said.
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