Bougainville's Momis slams joint mining-landowner enterprise

RTG banned from the island

ABG President refutes RTG claims

One PNG News

22 January 2020

I refer to RTG Mining Inc.’s (ASX:RTG, TSX:RTG, OTCQB:RTF) most recent
announcement to the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) dated 21st January
2020 whereby RTG deliberately made false claims to mislead their
shareholders, the general public and the ASX.

Firstly, the Special Mining Lease Osikaiyang Landowners Association
(SMLOLA) was an entity established under the controversial Bougainville
Copper Limited (BCL) regime, which mistakenly placed landowners into
individual blocks. This is in fact inconsistent with the traditional land
inheritance system whereby land is owned by clans and families. The ABG
has started the process to rectify this grave past mistake with the
rejection of BCL’s licence over Panguna, thereby deeming all current mine
affected landowner associations, including SMLOLA illegal, null and void.

So while it is true that RTG are the joint venture partner of SMLOLA as
they have confirmed, I would like to confirm SMLOLA have no legal rights
over Panguna and cannot enter into any legally binding agreements relating
to Panguna. I am happy to advise however that the ABG will be assisting
the true and genuine landowners to ensure proper social mapping is carried
out in order to establish new legal landowner associations and entities.

Secondly, as per a media statement released from my Office on the 23rd
December 2019, I would like to re-confirm and reiterate that the below RTG
executives currently still have a travel ban on them, preventing them from
entering Bougainville:

1. Mr Michael J Carrick - Chairman of RTG Mining
2. Ms Justine A Magee - CEO and Executive Director of RTG Mining
3. Mr Mark Turner - COO of RTG Mining
4. Mr Robert N Smith - Non-Executive Director of RTG Mining
5. Mr Phillip C Lockyer - Non-Executive Director of RTG Mining

I also re-confirm and reiterate that this travel ban will not be uplifted
under any circumstance. Whilst there was a travel ban into Papua New
Guinea, it has recently been uplifted due to RTG’s lies and deceptions to
the PNG government and immigration department about their purported
involvement in the Mt Kare project – a project that the world knows it
will not succeed. It is therefore concluded that RTG have taken advantage
of the fact that both the PNG and ABG operate independently of each other
and do not always consult each other on foreign companies, and that RTG’s
interest in the Mt Kare project is merely an expensive ploy and deceptive
tactic to be able to have a presence in PNG and access to their only real
interest – the financial rewards of the Panguna pit.

RTG and their executives should be totally and utterly ashamed of
themselves for their corrupt, disruptive and divisive behaviour. They have
tried to take advantage of our landowners and people and have shown a
complete lack of respect for government authorities. RTG have completely
misled the markets for their own financial gain and convenience. The ABG
will not rest until all RTG and their executives are banned for life from
Bougainville and Papua New Guinea.

As it is my duty to protect the people of Bougainville from immoral
charlatans, I appeal to the ASX, TSX and OTCQB, as your duty to protect
current and potential shareholders, that you perform a full investigation
into RTG Mining and their executives and their misconduct. My Government
would be more than happy to assist you with any enquiries relating to RTG
and their activities whilst in Bougainville.

For current and potential shareholders and financial markets, I hope that
this clears up any confusion or misunderstanding on RTG Mining’s position
in Papua New Guinea, Bougainville and Panguna.

Grand Chief Dr John L Momis, GCL, MHR President