Last adjournment for Akunai case

A final adjournment has been allowed by the Supreme Court to lawyers representing Solomon Tato and Samson Akunai to fix documents needed in an appeal hearing that is expected this month.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia allowed a final adjournment to Thursday and told parties to get all necessary documents in order before they return to court.

Parties in the case appeared before him to settle the index book, which will be used in the appeal hearing. However, certain court documents were not in the index books.

“I am a busy person and I want things done quickly. We need to get the appeal books ready to be heard in the October sitting,” Sir Salamo said.

“This case has had a long history. I want this case to be heard and determined in October,” he told parties in court on Tuesday afternoon.

Parties will return to court on Thursday at 1.30pm and settle the index book before a hearing date is set to hear the appeal.

The substantive hearing of an appeal, which was filed at the Supreme Court over the appointment of Samson Akunai as the acting Provincial Administrator of Eastern Highlands Province, will be set on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Akunai’s lawyers have also filed an application seeking to set aside the orders of the Supreme Court that were issued on Feb 15 that reinstated Tato as the Provincial Administrator.

Akunai’s lawyers are asking for that order to be set aside and Tato step aside from office as he is facing a trial on misappropriation allegations before the Goroka National Court.

Author: 
Sally Pokiton