Papua New Guinea’s biggest-circulation newspaper, the Post-Courier, has an interesting update on the “King of Papala” story here.
“The trio claim they are members of the Independent State of Mogilano, the Singapore Royal World Bank, the Royal Assembly and National Kingdom of Solomon Islands and now the Royal Kingdom of Papala.
The Royal Kingdom of Papala is operating in Bougainville and has had offices in Port Moresby and Solomon Islands by a Bougainvillean operating under several different names.
They are promising vast riches and benefits to grassroot Bougainvilleans through what they say are vital humanitarian aid projects — $US250 million for three medical clinics and a K10,000 payout for every Bougainvillean.
Meanwhile, executives of NewSat, the broadband company based in Melbourne, Australia, which reportedly sold equipment to identities in the “No-Go Zone” area, have denied outright having connections to two of the men now in Panguna, supposedly to set up more telecommunications outlets for the area through the installation of broadband satellite dishes.
The executives said late last night the “Independent State of Mogilno, the Kingdom of Papala’’ and the others were their “former customers’’.
NewSat said it was owed more than K26,000 ($A11,000) by these people.
The executives told the Post-Courier the product they supplied to these organisations were switched off five months ago because the parties had not paid their bills.”
Weirdness still pretty high, but a little clearer.