The Environment and Conservation Minister, Gordon Darcy Lilo, has totally denied having sent anyone to ask RIPEL Chairman Patrick Wong for corrupt payments totaling $3 Million.
"I know that Wong has been circulating a recorded CD of himself talking to someone who has claimed that I had sent him to get $3 Million from him but that is a matter between Wong and the person he was talking to on the recorded phone recording," Mr. Lilo said."The person that Mr. Wong was talking to in that recording is a person known to both Mr. Wong and RIPEL General Manager John Whiteside and knowing a character like Mr. Wong he would manipulate the situation for his own purpose."
Mr. Lilo said that the entire issue has to be investigated and the recording also needed to be analyzed by experts.
The Environment Minister said that Mr. Wong was trying to divert attention from the mess he has created in RIPEL by coming up with all sorts of allegations but the Government is working on how best to deal with the RIPE issue.
Mr. Wong has circulated a CD recording to the media and other parties claiming that a local person by the name of Brian was sent by Minister Lilo to ask Mr. Wong for $3 Million so that Mr. Lilo would not push for Mr. Wong's deportation when Minister Lilo was Acting Minister for Finance.