Task Force Sweep

Paraka Cleared

The decision was handed down today by Magistrate Ernest Wilmot and brings to end a long legal tussle between Paraka and the state.

After seven years of a long drawn out legal battle, the Waigani District Court today dismissed all 22 criminal charges levelled against lawyer Paul Paraka.

The charges are in relation ‘purported legal bills’.

The 22 criminal charges include; 10 counts of Conspiracy to Defraud, six counts of Stealing by False Pretense, three counts of Misappropriation/Dishonestly Applying, and three counts of Money Laundering.

VIDEO: PM questioned on TFS

Former Prime Minister and Moresby Northwest MP Sir Mekere Morauta asked Prime Minister O'Neill to clarify why the Task Force, led by lawyer Sam Koim, was disbanded.

 

Freddy Mou with more.

 

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O’Neill asked to explain closure of TFS

Former Prime Minister, now current Moresby Northwest MP, Sir Mekere Morauta, asked O’Neill to clearly indicate and clarify why he closed the TFSW when it was really doing a fantastic job led by a prominent lawyer Sam Koim

Sir Mekere told the Parliament today during its first sitting, that the Task Force Sweep Team had been commended by so many people for the work they have done and called on the PM to explain its closure

“Why did the Government close the Task Force Sweep Team office?

No more Task Force Sweep team

 A three-man Supreme Court bench this morning allowed the withdrawal of the appeal after leave was sought in the court by Sam Koim in his capacity as Chairman of the Investigation Task Force Sweep team.

This now means that the stay that was issued by the Supreme Court in February, allowing the work of the Task Force Sweep team to continue, while the Supreme Court deals with the appeal is discharged.

Koim asked the court this morning to allow him to withdraw the appeal which was filed challenging the decision of a Judicial Review in the National Court.

Koim welcomes Singapore’s court decision

Koim said the decision is remarkable and a landmark decision where a foreign court for the first time investigated a case without PNG investigators asking them to probe that particular case.

He told Loop PNG that this was not the first case and many people have been implicated in it.

Koim said his team is aware of funds destined to the PNG Government but distributed offshore, but have difficulty in working with foreign jurisdictions to successfully start the investigation.

PNG Loop 5@5

 Koim accused of contempt of court

http://www.looppng.com/content/koim-accused-contempt-court

The Prime Minister’s lawyers involved in the review proceeding of NEC’s decision to abolish the Task Force Sweep are accusing Sweep chairman Sam Koim of contempt and subjudice.

 

Senior Simbu police officer in hiding

Task Force sweep review deferred

The trial or the judicial review was set down for November 19 and 20 however it will be held sometime after December 10.

The  trial was moved to a later date following an application for an adjournment that was filed by the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s lawyers this morning.

O’Neill’s lawyers filed the application seeking an adjournment after they alleged that the chairman of the Task Force Sweep, Sam Koim, breached an order of July 16, 2014 that was issued by Justice Les Gavara-Nanu.