Matthew Damaru

Stanley Poga from Mikin village in Chimbu’s Chuave district was convicted and sentenced to jail on September 28 by Justice George Manuhu at the Waigani National Court.

This was after he assaulted the Director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Matthew Damaru, on the morning of April 30, 2015.

Since his sentence, he filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against that conviction and sentence on 15th October.

While awaiting that appeal to go for hearing, Poga filed an application in the National Court seeking bail after conviction.

 Stanley Poga was sentenced today after he was found guilty.

Poga from Mikin village in Chimbu’s Chuave district, was convicted by the Waigani National Court, for what he did to Chief Supt Mathew Damaru on the morning of April 30, 2015.  

On that day, he stormed into Damaru's office without an appointment, after he became upset with Damaru for opposing his application for a legal officer's position.

Poga then picked up a paper tray and hit Damaru on the forehead causing a deep cut.

He was arrested and charged on May 6, 2015. 

On September 14 at Daru, detectives arrested and charged Andrew Menger Marubu of Bela village, Mendi district, Southern Highlands Province, with two counts of false assumption of authority and one count of misappropriation of K6 million.

Marubu was formerly employed by the National Parliament as first secretary to the then minister for sports and South Fly, Sali Subam.

This was made known in court today after the National Court dismissed the case challenging the legality of the arrest warrant that was taken out against the Prime Minister in June 2014.

With the dismissal of the judicial review case and dismissal of the stay orders preventing the arrest, it now means that police can execute that arrest on the PM.

Director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Matthew Damaru, said the onus is now on Police Commissioner Gari Baki to act on the warrant.

Justice Leka Nablu today granted leave to an application that was moved by Director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Matthew Damaru, on May 18, asking the court to review that decision of Magistrate John Kaumi.

Magistrate Kaumi dismissed the case and the information that was laid against Sir Bernard.

The Committal Court’s view was that it does not have jurisdiction to prosecute or commence a criminal proceeding against Sir Bernard, who occupies a judicial office because certain laws were not complied with.

Damaru represented himself before Justice Leka Nablu where he asked the court to grant leave or allow a judicial review to take place.

The case was filed by Damaru and Inspector Joel Simatab, as police investigating officers challenging the Waigani Committal Court's decision on 7 June, 2016 to dismiss the case against Justice Sir Bernard Sakora, who was then facing allegations of judicial corruption.

Justice Nablu heard the motion and reserved her decision to June 1.

Inspector Joel Simatab, from the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, and his Director Chief Superintendent Matthew Damaru, on June 30 last year filed a judicial review challenging the District Court's decision to dismiss the case against Justice Sir Bernard Sakora, who was then facing allegations of judicial corruption.

Being officers of the Royal PNG Constabulary and acting in their capacity, they wrote to the Attorney General seeking approval for legal representation as per section 7 of the Attorney General’s Act.

On March 31, detectives arrested and charged program officer Mollars Nollamanu Winzo, 47, of Okapa district, Eastern Highlands Province, for fraud.

Detective chief superintendent, Matthew Damaru, said Winzo was interviewed and charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud, one count of money laundering and one count of misappropriation of funds totaling K10 million. This money belongs to the Independent State of Papua New Guinea.

A three-man Supreme Court bench allowed an appeal by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and set aside the joinder of Matthew Damaru and Timothy Gitua in the judicial review proceeding that was filed by Geoffrey Vaki in his capacity as the Police Commissioner (then) in 2014.

Justices Derek Hartshorn, Stephen Kassman, and Ambeng Kandakasi in a unanimous decision found that the National Court judge fell into error when he allowed the joinder of the two on Dec 7,2015.

Damaru said he accepts the decision of the Supreme Court today which found that the National Court erred in allowing their joinder in the judicial review proceeding.

Damaru said he and his deputy, Timothy Gitua have now been removed as parties in the judicial review challenging the issuing of the Prime Minister’s warrant of arrest by Chief Magistrate Eliakim on June 12,2014.

“We have been removed now so it’s up to the Police Commissioner now to pursue the case,” he said.