Jerry Singirok
Encyclopedia
Jerry Singirok was the commander of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force throughout the Sandline affair
of 1997.
. In the mid-1990s, he was promoted to Brigadier-General, and given the position of commander.
Then, in 1996, Tim Spicer
, an ex-Colonel in the Scots Guards, who had recently founded the mercenary firm Sandline International
, met with Singirok. Spicer attempted to persuade Singirok to support a package of military support that Spicer had negotiated with then-defence minister Mathias Ijape. Singirok declined, but the deal went ahead anyway, with the support of Ijape, Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan
and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Haiveta
.
It is unclear just how much Singirok knew of the events in between that meeting and the leaking of the affair to the international media on 10 February 1997. When the story broke in The Australian
newspaper, Singirok was in the Philippines
, and the mercenaries were already in Port Moresby
. When he returned on 27 February, his mind was made up. He condemned the government for leaving him, as head of the PNGDF, out of the loop, and condemned Spicer for having more access to the government than he did. Over the next week, he made plans for Operation Rausim Kwik (pidgin for 'get rid of them fast'). On 8 March, he asked Major Walter Enuma to command the operation. Enuma agreed.
That was the end of Singirok's direct role in the crisis that followed. However, Enuma carried out Singirok's plans in his absence. In the days that followed, the mercenaries were deported, the parliament was surrounded, and Chan, Ijape and Haiveta were all forced to stand down.
Following Sir Julius Chan's decision to stand down, Singirok went public with several serious corruption allegations against Chan's government. Chan stood again at the following election, but in the wake of the affair and Singirok's allegations, not only lost power, but also his seat in parliament.
The 2000 inquiry found Singirok guilty of secretly receiving $US52,000 through his Visa card account in the London
-based Lloyds Bank
. He was also found guilty of failing to obtain exemption from the Ombudsman Commission of the payments he received.
Singirok also faced criminal sedition charges, stemming from his radio broadcast of 17 March 1997, stating that he had launched a military revolt to get the mercenaries out of the country. Finally, in March 2004, he was cleared of all other charges.
In recent times, he has spoken out against Australia
n intervention in the Pacific, particularly the deployment of forces to the Solomon Islands
, accusing the country of imperialism. He has also suggested that Papua New Guinea risks becoming a failed state.
Singirok now operates a taxi company & security firm in Port Moresby
. He has suggested that after taking a break, he may return to public life.
He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the 2007 general election
, in the Sumkar constituency in Madang Province
, where he was defeated by Ken Fairweather
.
Sandline affair
The Sandline affair was a political scandal that became one of the defining moments in the history of Papua New Guinea, and particularly that of the conflict in Bougainville. It brought down the government of Sir Julius Chan, and took Papua New Guinea to the verge of military revolt...
of 1997.
Military career
Singirok was a career soldier who had risen through the ranks of the PNGDF, including a time as commander of the forces on BougainvilleBougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. In the mid-1990s, he was promoted to Brigadier-General, and given the position of commander.
Then, in 1996, Tim Spicer
Tim Spicer
Timothy Simon Spicer, OBE is a British former army officer, current CEO of the private security company Aegis Defence Services. He is a veteran of the Falklands War and also served with the British Army in Northern Ireland...
, an ex-Colonel in the Scots Guards, who had recently founded the mercenary firm Sandline International
Sandline International
Sandline International was a private military company based in London, established in the early 1990s. It was involved in conflicts in Papua New Guinea in 1997 causing the Sandline affair, in 1998 in Sierra Leone and in Liberia in 2003 Sandline International was a private military company based...
, met with Singirok. Spicer attempted to persuade Singirok to support a package of military support that Spicer had negotiated with then-defence minister Mathias Ijape. Singirok declined, but the deal went ahead anyway, with the support of Ijape, Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan
Julius Chan
Sir Julius Chan GCL GCMG KBE was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980 to 1982 and from 1994 to 1997. He is currently Member of Parliament for New Ireland Province, having won the seat in the 2007 national election...
and Deputy Prime Minister Chris Haiveta
Chris Haiveta
Chris Haiveta is the head of the Pangu Party of Papua New Guinea and a member of National Parliament. In 1993 he was named Deputy Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. He also served as the governor of Gulf Province twice. Haiveta served as finance minister in the government of Julius Chan. They...
.
It is unclear just how much Singirok knew of the events in between that meeting and the leaking of the affair to the international media on 10 February 1997. When the story broke in The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
newspaper, Singirok was in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, and the mercenaries were already in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. When he returned on 27 February, his mind was made up. He condemned the government for leaving him, as head of the PNGDF, out of the loop, and condemned Spicer for having more access to the government than he did. Over the next week, he made plans for Operation Rausim Kwik (pidgin for 'get rid of them fast'). On 8 March, he asked Major Walter Enuma to command the operation. Enuma agreed.
The Sandline affair
On the night of 16 March, Singirok's soldiers swooped. They arrested Spicer, the mercenaries, and their support staff. The next morning, Singirok went on national radio, and accused Prime Minister Chan, Defence Minister Ijape, and Deputy Prime Minister Haiveta of corruption, and gave them 48 hours to resign. He also fiercely denied allegations that he was aiming to take power himself. Chan refused to resign, and the same day, sacked Singirok as Commander of the PNGDF, replacing him with the controversial Colonel Alfred Aikung.That was the end of Singirok's direct role in the crisis that followed. However, Enuma carried out Singirok's plans in his absence. In the days that followed, the mercenaries were deported, the parliament was surrounded, and Chan, Ijape and Haiveta were all forced to stand down.
Following Sir Julius Chan's decision to stand down, Singirok went public with several serious corruption allegations against Chan's government. Chan stood again at the following election, but in the wake of the affair and Singirok's allegations, not only lost power, but also his seat in parliament.
Dismissal and subsequent inquiry
Following the affair, Singirok was dismissed from his position. He faced several inquiries into the events. He was subsequently reappointed in 1998, but dismissed again in 2000 over the same events, after another inquiry.The 2000 inquiry found Singirok guilty of secretly receiving $US52,000 through his Visa card account in the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank
Lloyds Bank Plc was a British retail bank which operated in England and Wales from 1765 until its merger into Lloyds TSB in 1995; it remains a registered company but is currently dormant. It expanded during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and took over a number of smaller banking companies...
. He was also found guilty of failing to obtain exemption from the Ombudsman Commission of the payments he received.
Singirok also faced criminal sedition charges, stemming from his radio broadcast of 17 March 1997, stating that he had launched a military revolt to get the mercenaries out of the country. Finally, in March 2004, he was cleared of all other charges.
In recent times, he has spoken out against Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n intervention in the Pacific, particularly the deployment of forces to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, accusing the country of imperialism. He has also suggested that Papua New Guinea risks becoming a failed state.
Legacy
Though his name has been sullied somewhat by the bribery allegations, many still accredit Singirok with the end of the Bougainvillean war, which occurred soon after the ousting of the Chan government. In a June 2004 interview with the Port Moresby newspaper The National, he stated "Even to this day, I believe strongly as a professional military officer that there was no military solution to bring an end to the civil war on Bougainville."Singirok now operates a taxi company & security firm in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. He has suggested that after taking a break, he may return to public life.
He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in the 2007 general election
Papua New Guinean general election, 2007
General elections were held in Papua New Guinea from 30 June 2007 to 14 July 2007.For the first time, the election did not use first past the post , but rather Limited Preferential Voting, in which voters number...
, in the Sumkar constituency in Madang Province
Madang Province
Madang is a province on the northern coast of mainland Papua New Guinea. The province has many of the country's highest peaks, active volcanoes and its biggest mix of languages...
, where he was defeated by Ken Fairweather
Ken Fairweather
Ken Fairweather is a Papua New Guinean politician.He was first elected to the National Parliament in the 2007 general election, as independent MP for the Sumkar Open constituency in Madang Province, though he subsequently joined the People's National Congress Party. His election was notable as he...
.