Assistant Police Commissioner (Crimes) Thomas Eluh has called on the Minister for Justice and Attorney General Ano Pala to hand himself in for questioning at the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate office.
Following the Supreme Court decision this morning (Oct 28) which dismissed an application to restrain police from arresting Pala, Eluh said he (Pala) is the custodian of the law and the country’s principal legal advisor and should go in for questioning himself.
He also advised Pala’s lawyer after the court’s decision to advise his client to hand himself in for questioning.
“He’s a national leader; he should lead by example and hand himself in.
“We cannot be going around looking to arrest a national leader,” Eluh said outside the Waigani Court house.
Senior Committal Court Magistrate Cosmas Bidar issued the warrant of arrest against Pala at the District Court on July 11 last year.
Pala was charged with conspiring with others to defeat the course of justice in relation to the Paul Paraka Lawyers legal bills payments case last year.
In Nov 2014, Pala obtained stay orders at the National Court to temporarily stop that warrant of arrest that was issued against him however that stay was lifted on Aug 14.
On Aug 26, his lawyers filed a notice of motion before the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the police from arresting him.
The application was heard in court on Oct 19 and dismissed today.