Ombudsman

Ombudsman Richard Pagen said leaders will still control service delivery until after the return of writs which is on July 24.

He said the issue of writs yesterday does not mean that MPs lost their powers.

He made these comments in Port Moresby when issuing a direction against the use of DSIP funds during the election, after the Ombudsman Commission, Department of Finance and Department of Rural Development and Implementation put a conditional freeze on DSIP and PSIP till 30 September.

A full Supreme Court Bench responded to six questions referred by Justice Collin Makail and five questions referred by the Attorney General and Justice David Cannings, in matters concerning Prime Minister Peter O’Neil’s referral by the Ombudsman Commission over the UBS loan.

The Opposition is calling on the Government to appoint the Chief Ombudsman Commissioner immediately.

In a media conference on Tuesday in Port Moresby, Opposition Leader Don Polye challenged Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to explain what was the holdup in the appointment.

Polye said the Ombudsman Commission applied the leadership code to protect citizens from improper and corrupt conduct by leaders continuing in office and therefore must be appointed as soon as possible.