Justice Stephen Kassman

Tubu and Kuriva communities from the Kairuku District of Central Province were the proud recipients of an elementary double classroom (Tubu) and a library (Kuriva), funded by Digicel PNG Foundation in their mission to improve education facility standards.

National and supreme court Judge, Justice Stephen Kassman, who calls Tubu home, said that villagers had come together to start up the school after 20 years of not having a school in the Village of Tubu, depriving a whole generation of the community from being educated.

The three filed a slip rule application on May 18, asking the Supreme Court to reopen their appeal and revisit it, alleging an error or slip was made by the three-man Supreme Court when it dismissed their appeals against conviction and sentence.

Their lawyers will seek leave of the court to move the application on Thursday, August 31.

This direction was issued by Justice Stephen Kassman today at the Supreme Court direction hearing.

Lawyers representing Wobiro, May and Dr Gumoi filed the application against the majority decision of the Supreme Court on April 27.

Justice Stephen Kassman said there are dates available in February however, that will depend on how fast lawyers file their submissions in court.  

He made these remarks on Friday when the matter went for directions hearing before him. The case will return for mention at 1.30pm today.

The Supreme Court will be dealing with nine sets of appeals in total, two appeals from each applicant against the National Court’s finding of guilt and their ten-year sentence terms.

Justice Stephen Kassman, who listed the matter for hearing on Sept 26, said there is a possibility a member of the three-judge bench that ordered the re-count of ballot boxes on Sept 6 will not be available on that day.

Parties representing Don Polye, Alfred Luke Manase and Electoral Commissioner, appeared before Justice Kassman of the Supreme Court this morning for directions.

Following the ruling on Sept 6, Polye filed a slip rule application asking the court to re-visit its decision, alleging that the full bench made an error by ordering a re-count.

Justice Stephen Kassman made the comments after Alfred Luke Manase’s lawyer, Christine Copland, told the court they were not notified of the urgent application coming to Court on Sunday nor yesterday morning.

They became aware of the urgent application returning via newspaper reports describing it as an ambush on the part of Polye’s lawyer, Paulus Doa.

Doa, who was out of Port Moresby on the weekend, had another lawyer, John Napu, step in for him on Sunday, making an appearance before Justice Kassman. Polye was also in court on Sunday at 1.30pm with Napu.

Justice Stephen Kassman this afternoon said he does not have jurisdiction to hear the stay application filed by Don Polye on Sept 15, seeking to stay the re-count of ballot boxes in the Kandep Open seat.

Following the ruling on Sept 6, Polye filed a slip rule application asking the court to re-visit its decision, alleging that the full bench made an error on Sept 6 by ordering a re-count.

He also went before Justice Kassman on Sunday in a special fixture Supreme Court sitting, asking the court to stay that recount.