Investigation Task Force Sweep

The court refused to grant leave due to the lengthy delay in Paraka seeking leave to review those decisions.

The Principal of Paul Paraka Lawyers, filed an Originating Summons on March 8, seeking leave to have 11 government decisions judicially reviewed.

They include decisions of the District Courts, Fraud Squad, the disbanded Investigation Task Force Sweep team, the Prime Minister and NEC, Attorney General, BSP and others made between August 2011 and February 2018.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on Wednesday afternoon ordered a stay against the National Court’s decision on Dec 2,2016 which dismissed the judicial review.

The review was filed by Sam Koim as Chairman of the Investigation Task Force Sweep team over its disbanding in 2014.

He filed an appeal on Jan 6, 2017 on 13 grounds against the decision of trial judge, Justice Collin Makail.

The Judicial review was filed in 2014 over the disbanding of the Investigation Task Force Sweep team; a body that National Court ruled was created as a result of a policy decision. 

Koim filed the appeal on Jan 6, 2017 listing Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, the National Executive Council, Attorney General Ano Pala and the state as respondents.

Koim and the Prime Minister’s lawyers appeared before Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia this morning for hearing, however that did not eventuate because the Prime Minister’s lawyers said they were not served the Notice of Motion.

Justice Collin Makail on Thursday afternoon heard submissions from parties in the judicial review case; ITSF chairman Sam Koim who represented himself, lawyer representing Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Mal Varitimos, NEC’s lawyer Tiffany Twivey-Nonggorr and Nicholas Tame, representing the Royal PNG Constabulary.

The ITFS team was disbanded in an NEC decision in 2014, however that has been stayed by the National Court pending the outcome of this Judicial Review proceeding that has been in court for the past two years.

Parties involved in the proceeding appeared before Justice Collin Makail today for a status conference where the date was set.

The trial is expected to be done by way of affidavit on Thursday, Oct 20 at 1:30 and parties are expected to file and serve submissions by Oct 17.

A motion by the former Police Commissioner’s lawyer, Nicholas Tame that was filed on March 9 seeking to restrain Koim’s lawyer’s engagement was struck out by Justice Makail for want of prosecution.

 The matter came before Justice Collin Makail today (September 30) at the National Court where new dates were set for the two day trial which will start on November 19.

This is the substantive matter filed by chairman of the Investigation Task Force Sweep Sam Koim against Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to review the disbanding of the ITFS by the government.

The disbanding of the ITSF was stayed by Justice Les Gavara-Nanu on July 28, 2014 in a Supreme Court decision.