A three-judge Supreme Court bench will hear submissions on an appeal that was filed by the Investigation Task Force Sweep (ITFS) team on April 26.
Sam Koim, the appellant as chairman of ITFS, was not present in court. However, lawyers representing Prime Minister Peter O’Neill confirmed the hearing date in court yesterday during a status conference before Justice Collin Makail.
Three volumes of the appeal books were filed on March 31.
The substantive appeal, including an application to introduce fresh evidence, will be heard on April 26.
Parties were told to file their submissions by April 19.
The Supreme Court on Feb 15 this year agreed to hear the appeal which Koim filed, challenging the decision of the National Court when it dismissed a judicial review.
Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on that day also granted an interim order to stay the National Court’s decision on Dec 2, 2016, which dismissed the judicial review.
This judicial review was filed by Koim over the disbanding of ITFS in 2014.
The work of the Investigation Task Force Sweep team, in the meantime, will remain in effect in the country while the Supreme Court expedites the hearing of the appeal.