Jerry Singirok was the commander of the defence forces of Papua New Guinea throughout the Sandline affair of 1997. 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. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 Bougainville. In the mid-1990s, he was promoted to Brigadier-General, and given the position of commander. Location of North Solomons (Bougainville) Province in Papua New Guinea This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from 2000 and 2001. ...

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. 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Tim Spicer is a former Lieutenant Colonel in the Scots Guards and CEO of the Private Security Company Aegis Defence Services. ... Sandline International was a private security (military) company based in London, established in the early 1990s. ... The Right Honourable Sir Julius Chan KCMG (陳仲民 Pinyin: Chén Zhòngmín) (born 29 August 1939) was Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea from 1980-1982 and 1994-1997. ... Chris Haiveta (born 1960) is the head of the Pangu Party of Papua New Guinea and a member of National Parliament. ...

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 February 10, 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 February 27, 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 March 8, he asked Major Walter Enuma to command the operation. Enuma agreed. February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Australian (informally referred to as The Oz) is a national daily broadsheet newspaper published by Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ... Port Moresby town Port Moresby, (9°30′ S 147°12′ E), population 193,242 (1990), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March 8 is the 67th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (68th in Leap years). ...

The Sandline affair

On the night of March 16, 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. March 16 is the 75th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (76th in Leap years). ...

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. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

The 2000 inquiry found Singirok guilty of secretly receiving US$ 52,000 from arms dealer J&S Franklin through his Visa card account in the London-based Lloyds TSB. He was also found guilty of failing to obtain exemption from the Ombudsman Commission of the payments he received from J& S Franklin. ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... Lloyds TSB Group plc is a group of financial services companies, based in the United Kingdom, which was created in 1995 following the merger of the TSB Group and the Lloyds Bank Group. ...

Singirok also faced criminal sedition charges, stemming from his radio broadcast of March 17, 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. March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In recent times, he has spoken out against Australian 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.

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." Location of North Solomons (Bougainville) Province in Papua New Guinea This article is about the island; Bougainville is also the name of a commune in the Somme département of France. ...

Singirok now operates a security firm and taxi company in Port Moresby. He has suggested that after taking a break, he may return to public life. Port Moresby town Port Moresby, (9°30′ S 147°12′ E), population 193,242 (1990), is the capital of Papua New Guinea. ...