Bangladesh, Feb. 28 -- Papua New Guineas (PNG) central banking sector has been thrust into controversy following the permanent appointment of Elizabeth Genia as the governor of the Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG), despite her being the subject of a police investigation for suspected money laundering. This development, first revealed through court documents obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), has raised serious concerns over governance, transparency, and financial integrity in PNG.

The National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate of PNGs police force initiated a probe into Genias financial activities in 2023, leading to searches of BPNG offices in August and September of that year. Investigators all...