Papua New Guinea foreign minister's daughter splurges riches, shows off on social media; father resigns after outrage

The external affairs minister in Papua New Guinea had to step back from his post in the cabinet over a controversy surrounding the expenditure of the commonwealth country’s official delegation at King Charles III’s coronation. As per reports, the resign came after Justin Tkatchenko and his daughter faced scrutiny for traveling with a delegation of at least ten officials to attend King Charles’ coronation, incurring expenses reportedly amounting to $1 million. However, what acted as fuel to the fire, according to reports, was a video, Tkatchenko’s daughter Savannah posted on TikTok showing her first-class plane journey and shopping spree in Singapore. In response to the backlash, Tkatchenko referred to his daughter’s critics as “primitive animals.” His comments led to protests outside Parliament House in the capital city of Port Moresby on Friday. Later, Tkatchenko announced his resignation by stating that he chose to “stand aside” after consulting with Prime Minister James Marape. He emphasized the importance of clarifying the truth of the matter and rectifying any misinformation or falsehoods. According to a Reuters report, government spokesman Bill Toraso clarified that ten members of staff, accompanied by ten guests, from the government of Papua New Guinea traveled to London. Meanwhile, in a video that has since been deleted, Savannah documented her visit to luxurious fashion stores in Singapore and showcased her experience in the “stunning” first-class lounge while en route to London. In response, Tkatchenko, speaking to Australia’s ABC, referred to his daughter’s critics as “primitive animals” who were irrelevant. He stated, “She’s absolutely traumatised by these primitive animals… I call them primitive animals because they are… Jealousy is a curse. And, you know, these people clearly show that they have got nothing to do in their lives other than to put down people that want to do something good for their country.” Later on, he apologized for his remarks, claiming that they were misunderstood and taken out of context. He clarified that his comments were directed solely at individuals who had made derogatory remarks about his daughter. Prime Minister James Marape urged the people of Papua New Guinea to accept Tkatchenko’s apology, stating in a released statement that he too found the comments offensive. The resignation of Tkatchenko occurred ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming two-day visit to Papua New Guinea, scheduled to begin on May 21. This visit will be followed by President Biden’s arrival the following day, as confirmed by the White House. President Biden is expected to make a stopover in Port Moresby after attending the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Japan. Read all the Latest News, Trending News,  Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.