national court

The doctor responsible for the detainees’ treatment appeared in court this morning with counsel in carriage of the case when the matter returned before Justice Panuel Mogish at the National Court.

The doctor said three detainees had started treatment and were undergoing continuous assessment.

These detainees were transferred into Port Moresby from other provinces to undergo treatment at the Laloki Psychiatric hospital but were not taken there from Bomana.

 Jude Nidung (24) from Finschhafen  in Morobe, David Travoha (23) from Nuknuk village in Huon Gulf, Morobe Province, Gregory Tuaki (28) of Dinam village, Bogia district in Madang, Alwin Mataibe (26) from Guala village, Koroba district in the Hela province, Tobias Samson (26) from Singing village, Baiyer district Western Highlands Province and, Kenneth Yangun (25) of Mendi in the Southern Highlands Province all appeared before Justice Panuel Mogish.

Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika found Taita Prichard and James Paru guilty for planning and willfully murdering Hohn Hulse at Napanapa outside Port Moresby.

Prichard is a Papua New Guinean who is a naturalised Australian citizen.

The incident took place on 24 July 2011. Prichard and Hulse were intimately involved since 2008 and the court found she planned with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm to Hulse when she found out he was seeing another woman.

43 year old Joel Solien was sentenced to two years behind bars or until he repays the full amount stolen.

Between July 1 and 31 2013, Solien was employed as a driver with East West Transport limited, a company contracted to transport fuel to the InterOil fuel service station.

It was between that time (he admitted in court yesterday Nov 4) that he sold fuel worth K24,640 to a Pakistan man in Port Moresby for K7,000.

He had worked with East-West Transport for seven month before committing the offence.  

Justice Panuel Mogish instructed state counsel from the Public Prospector’s office to produce the doctor’s details to the court on Friday.

Specific directions will be given by the court to the doctor to appear on Monday and inform the court on treatment progress and the status of six psychiatric detainees at Bomana Correctional Institute.

The detainees; Epa Hawaya, Ishmael Binimo, William Soni, Mata Seke, Kenny Wombun and Oxy Mark were supposed to be brought to Laloki for treatment however they has not been done.

The application today comes after the National Court on October 29 temporarily stayed the Leadership tribunal reconvening until November 6.

Namah’s lawyer Greg Sheppard moved the motion this morning saying the appointment of the tribunal by the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia was unconstitutional and invalid as the Chief Justice was involved in one of the allegations in Namah’s referral.

He said being involved in one of the allegations, the Chief Justice ought not to have appointed the tribuna,l saying the appointment was invalid.

The former Police Commissioner and his lawyer Sam Bonner appeared before the National Court this morning (Nov 4) after he failed to return to court for call over on Monday (Nov 2).

Vaki however went to the court registry after lunch on Monday and was told he was supposed to appear that morning. He was later told to appear today.

Bonner said his non-appearance on Monday was due to  there being no communication between him and the Public Prosecutors’ office on the return date.

Greg Egan, Counsel acting for of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Director Matthew Damaru, his assistant Timothy Gitua and their lawyer McRonald Nale returned to the National Court where the hearing took place before Justice Ere Kariko.

The National Court on October 14 issued temporary restraining orders against Police commissioner Gari Baki and Inspector Jacob Ivaroa of the Special Police Internal Investigation team from conducting any investigations against Damaru, Gitua and Nale.

Justice Ere Kariko in hearing the urgent ex-parte application at the National Court on October 14 also issued orders against Baki and Ivaroa pursuing any criminal prosecution against the three or until further orders of the court.

The orders come after Director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru, his assistant Timothy Gitua and McRonald Nale filed an application on October 13 seeking interim orders against Commissioner Baki.

Counsel representing Mai, Greg Egan moved the application this afternoon dismissing orders that were granted by Justice George Manuhu who presided as a single Supreme Court judge last week Wednesday.

The Supreme Court also removed the stay order that restrained Mai from holding any meeting with members of the Sandaun Provincial Executive Committee.

Justice Manuhu in hearing the application today found that the balance of convenience favoured Mai thus dismissing the interim orders he granted last week.