Vaki compromised Eluh
Eluh's statement:
'SUSPENDED Assistant Commissioner Crimes, Thomas Eluh, has reiterated his earlier stand that newly appointed Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki has been compromised and cannot uphold the office of the Commissioner of Police.
In a statement, Mr Eluh said: "Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki can talk and try to justify himself till the sun freezes over but he cannot fool the people of Papua New Guinea. He is now being seen as a puppet conveniently appointed to prevent Prime Minister Peter O’Neill from submitting himself to the rule of law."
Mr Eluh said how can Mr Vaki ask them to give him the benefit of doubt when prior to officially taking office and without receiving any briefing from Mr Eluh and his investigators, he issued instructions to consent to restraining orders being sought by the Prime Minister’s lawyer against police from arresting the Prime Minister.
"How can he expect us to trust him now that he has applied to the District Court to set aside the warrant of arrest on the Prime Minister? I don’t know who is advising him but this is a total abuse of process," Mr Eluh said.
The National Court made it clear that the warrant of arrest is in order, he said.'
VAKI'S GET BLOWN OUT BY THE COURTS
New Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki received a double blow from the courts last Friday.
His bid to discontinue the initial arrest warrant on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill at the Committal Court was thrown out and shortly before that, the National Court issued an injunction stopping him from interfering with the work of police investigators investigating Mr O’Neill and others implicated in the Paul Paraka issue.
The National Court also restrained Mr Vaki from accessing the investigations files.
At the committal hearing, Chief Magistrate Nerrie Eliakim, in a detailed ruling, found that the application by Mr Vaki to discontinue the arrest warrant on Mr O’Neill was misconceived.
She reiterated that police were required by law to obtain arrest warrants on official corruption cases before charges are laid, such as the current case of Mr O’Neill.
She explained in her ruling that there were no proper reasons as to why Mr Vaki should revisit the investigation files when the former Police Commissioner Sir Tom Kulunga had already assessed the files and established a prima facie case to have the matter prosecuted.
She stressed that the National Court decision by Justice Kariko was not disputed and that it clearly stated that the courts cannot interfere with the work of police.
She said it would be in direct interference with the work of police if the warrant was discontinued.
"Courts can only interfere when there is a clear case of abuse," the Chief Magistrate explained.
She said court orders were meant to be obeyed and should be obeyed at all times. She therefore refused the application.
Shortly before the committal court ruling, the National Court issued an injunction stopping Mr Vaki from interfering with police investigations into the Paul Paraka issue.
The injunction was issued by National Court judge Ambeng Kandakasi following an urgent application by police fraud investigators who felt that their constitutional duties have been interfered with by the police hierarchy.
The fraud officers include director of fraud and anti-corruption directorate Mathew Damaru, assistant director Timothy Gitua, suspended lead-investigator and Assistant Police Commissioner (crimes) Thomas Eluh.
The court adjourned the matter to Tuesday for further hearing.
SOURCE: Post Courier
