Patrick Pruaitch

When clearing the air on the arrival and refusal to include two more MPs yesterday, Marape said the team collectively decided to shut the gate at 12 noon.

“We respectfully refused one or two personal friends, for me I refused one personal friend whose a member of parliament who came in and I had to respect these two leaders here,” he said.

“It is no more about James Marape, it is no more about William Duma, it is no more about Patrick Pruaitch. It is about the team of likeminded leaders on this side of the house.

Pruaitch  i bin sindaun wantaim ol memba bilong oposisen kem, long taim em  i givim toksave  i go long Klak bilong Palamen long rausim dispela mosen.

Long wankain taim, Tari-Pori MP James Marape,  i rausim bek nominesen bilong em i long kamap Praim Minista.

Long wanpela nius konprens asde, Patrick Pruaitch wantaim James Marape wantaim tu ol arapela memba bilong oposisen kem i tokim ol midia long tokaut long disisen bilong ol long kisim bek mosen bilong Vot I No Gat Bilip long Praim Minista.

Flanked by members of the alternative government camp, Pruaitch said he has informed the Clerk of Parliament to withdraw the motion.

Tari-Pori MP James Marape has also withdrawn his nomination as alternative Prime Minister.

In a media conference yesterday, Pruaitch and Marape along with several members of the alternative government camp fronted the media to announce the decision to withdraw the motion for a Vote of No Confidence against the Prime Minister.

Acting Parliamentary Counsel Richard Whitchurch explained this is because the Private Business Committee that screens all private business motions did not sit on Wednesday last week, because parliament was adjourned. The Committee only meets when parliament meets or convenes.

The Committee is chaired by Speaker Job Pomat, the Deputy Speaker and five other elected Members who are not ministers.

In a statement, Pruaitch said he fully supported the united call by all Western Province Members of Parliament, including Governor Taboi Awi Yoto, that the recent Singapore High Court decision should prevent PNGSDP from coming under political interference or outside control.

“The joint letter from the Western MPs cautions Government not to interfere with PNGSDP programs,” said the Opposition Leader.

“PNGSDP is a model entity that operates like a sovereign wealth fund and has done an excellent job in nurturing its long-term fund which now stands at over K4 billion.

He said what Pruaitch has said is misleading and untrue.

The Prime Minister said the statement lacked evidence, and challenged the Pruaitch to prove it.

The leader of the Opposition recently claimed that the Government had placed the PNG Electrification Partnership in jeopardy by awarding power projects to companies from China without calling for open and competitive tendering.

Members of the tribunal, led by Chairman and Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, adjourned the hearing pending the outcome of an appeal Pruaitch filed in July.

The appeal is on the jurisdiction of the tribunal, whether the leader has the right to be heard by the Ombudsman Commission after “further” investigations on the allegations.

It was a show of solidarity, as the National Alliance Leader, Pruaitch was accompanied by the father of the nation, Sir Michael Somare, yesterday (September 5) in court.

A tribunal, appointed in February 2010 over allegations of misconduct in office, resumed yesterday morning where preliminary issues were raised before members of the tribunal by Pruaitch’s lawyer, Greg Sheppard.

Issues relating to the jurisdiction of the tribunal were raised as well as certain documents that will be used during the hearing.

This comes after the Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, today announced the appointment of two senior magistrates who will assist Chairman of the Leadership Tribunal and Deputy Chief Justice, Sir Gibbs Salika, to enquire into the misconduct allegations against Pruaitch.

The Aitape-Lumi MP was referred by the Ombudsman Commission in 2008 to the tribunal over allegations of misconduct in office following investigations.

Opposition Leader Patrick Pruaitch accused the Government of diverting K150 million to a separate account rather than the Disaster Trust Account set up on March 1, 2018.

He claimed that there has been no transparency on the restoration work carried out by the Controller of National Disaster state-of-emergency.