Matthew Damaru

The most recent one was former police commissioner Geoffrey Vaki’s case. The Waigani Committal Court dismissed it on Tuesday after finding insufficient evidence against him.

In a press conference this afternoon, Fraud Director Matthew Damaru said: “We have come to a frightening stage where a number of ‘unusual interferences in the criminal justice process’ have led to the lost cases.

“The process of initiating the criminal justice process is now encumbered by an unusual vetting committee,” stated Damaru.

A number of motions and applications filed by parties since April 18 returned today however the court proceeded to hear the application filed by the second respondent, Police Commissioner Gari Baki.

His lawyer Ronald John Webb preceded with the applications filed early this month seeking two orders of the court.

The application was filed around the circumstances of the legal representation of Damaru and his engagement of private lawfirm, Jema lawyers, McRonald Nale and Greg Egan.

The motion was brought to the National Court’s Justice Allan David this morning amongst other motions from parties involved in the proceeding filed by Damaru against his suspension of April 16.

Damaru’s lawyer Greg Egan briefly informed the court of the motion that was filed on April 29.

The motion seeks orders of the National Court to prevent Commissioner Gari Baki from conducting an inquiry into the directorate as well as lift the blockade of the fraud.

The inquiry into the office has since commenced.

The National Court issued orders on Monday to stay the suspension of the chief anti-corruption investigator Matthew Damaru after he was removed from office early Saturday morning. A further order was issued to stop any other form of intimidation or interference by the state or its actors in their investigations.

However, Monday's court decision led to an open confrontation by rival elements at the fraud squad's headquarters. 

This follows a PNG Supreme Court ruling today dismissing O’Neill’s  attempt to stop the Task Force Sweep from investigating him.

A three-man bench of the Supreme Court at 9.30 am dismissed all orders preventing  the Task Force Sweep from further investigating the matter.

The application was moved by Mal Varitimos in court today before Justice Sir Bernard Sakora, one day after a trial date was set at the National Court for the Judicial Review into the manner in which the warrant against the Prime Minister was obtained from the District Court in 2014.

The trial date at the National Court was set for March 3.

Director of the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Matthew Damaru and his deputy Director Timothy Gitua were allowed joiner in the proceeding by Justice Collin Makail on Dec 7,2015.