Penetrated the Island-state, bought the luxury cars for the summit: Now is 284 disappeared

In Papua New Guinea, where 40 percent of the population live on under one dollar a day, where only seven percent have access to electricity, and where the dangerous Polio disease had just broken out, caused the last year of a stir, since the government has bought a fleet of cars, which include construction of 40 copies of the Italian luxury car Maserati Quattroporte.

the Occasion was the annual summit for the countries in the asia-Pacific region, APEC, and the newly purchased fleet of several hundred cars were used to transport the approximately 15.000 guests around in the capital city of Port Moresby in november. A city with the same population as the city of Aarhus.

at the Time defended the government itself, that the cars would be sold again after the summit, so the cost would fall. But it has proven to be harder than that. Many of the cars have not been returned, writes the news agency Reuters.

a total Of 284 cars running by all accounts is still around somewhere in Papua New Guinea. It does not however apply to the many Italian luxury cars, which together with the three Bentley models are allegedly found and in the authorities ' custody.

the Cars, is missing, is in place suvs like Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Pajero and cars from Ford and Mazda.

- 284 cars have been handed over to employees for use during the APEC (summit, ed.), has not been returned yet. All 40 Maseratier and three Bentley models are however in top condition and locked away in hovedkajen, says superintendent Dennis Corcoran, to Reuters.

According to Chris Hawkens, who is the spokesperson for the government, there is, however, not necessarily criminal acts behind the car's disappearance. To Reuters, he explains that many of them are being used for ambulances, the fire department or other public authorities.

Completely free of vehicle theft have the summit, however, not been. According to politikommisær Dennis Corcoran is at least nine cars have been stolen, while several of the returned cars have been removed parts, or 'right of seriously injured'.

do you think the politikommissæren, then by the police exactly where the stolen cars are – and it is apparent that also the remaining 275 cars. Dennis Corcoran has in each case a list of the employees who in his time received the keys to the cars.

Papua New Guinea wagered large that the APEC summit would bring investment to the country. According to australian ABC News the government had, therefore, to the apartment extended the capital's airport and with China's help, built a large conference hall. By the same token, had the high priority that the country lived by the standard that the other host had laid for the day at previous summits.

It is clear from a press release, as the APEC minister Justin Tkatchenko issued in the wake of protests over the government's bilindkøb, and as the media Hour have described.

- Personbilerne ensure that leaders have access to the same level of transport, as is common at the APEC summits. Papua New Guinea provides a world-class APEC summit, and we want to ensure that leaders and delegates to be transported properly between the events, writes the minister.