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UPNG PROTEST ON TODAY

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UPNG BOYCOTTS IN PROTEST OVER BILL Students at the University of Papua New Guinea boycotted classes today in protest over Parliament's passage of the controversial Judicial Conduct Bill. And there's still uncertainty whether the boycotting will continue. ... In a statement, the Student Representative Council President Emmanuel Issac labelled the new law as dictatorial, that will interfere with the Constitutional functions of the Judiciary. The student council has put together a petition, consisting more than one-hundred points, for Parliament to rescind its decision. Copies of the petition will be presented to Speaker Jeffery Nape, and Parliament-elect Prime Minister Peter O'Neil by the Student Representative Council, while other copies will be given to the 109 members of Parliament. A Review of the Judicial Conduct Bill 2012 We, the students of the University of Papua New Guinea have met today in light of the actions of our National Parliament in regard to the passing of t

UPNG PROTEST ON TODAY

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UPNG BOYCOTTS IN PROTEST OVER BILL Students at the University of Papua New Guinea boycotted classes today in protest over Parliament's passage of the controversial Judicial Conduct Bill. And there's still uncertainty whether the boycotting will continue. ... In a statement, the Student Representative Council President Emmanuel Issac labelled the new law as dictatorial, that will interfere with the Constitutional functions of the Judiciary. The student council has put together a petition, consisting more than one-hundred points, for Parliament to rescind its decision. Copies of the petition will be presented to Speaker Jeffery Nape, and Parliament-elect Prime Minister Peter O'Neil by the Student Representative Council, while other copies will be given to the 109 members of Parliament. A Review of the Judicial Conduct Bill 2012 We, the students of the University of Papua New Guinea have met today in light of the actions of our National Parliament in regard to

Pieces in the Jigsaw: Logging, money laundering and the DPM

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By Susan Merrell Belden Namah "I was a business man before I was an MP," Belden Namah, Deputy Prime Minister of PNG has often stated.   "I'm in the multi-billion dollar logging business." And so he is.   He's also an investor in luxury overseas properties, a big gambler and owns other unrelated overseas businesses and flies in private aircrafts. If all of those things, spoken in the same sentence, don't ring any alarm bells…they ought to. Logging The World Bank, this week, released a press statement about illegal logging and its proceeds. It states that in some countries up to 90% of logging is illegal. Some logging, though, is legal and is just another innocuous business enterprise, isn't it? Well… not really. It's been 25 years since there was a Commission of Inquiry into logging in PNG - the conclusions were damning and there's no evidence anything has changed.   Carried out by Justice Thomas Barnett, the report found that the industry wa

PNG 'turning into a dictatorship'

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PAPUA New Guinea's government has granted itself the power to suspend judges, the country's opposition says. The move has made the country into an executive dictatorship, the opposition said. The government's move is being interpreted as a broadside against the nation's Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, following the leaking of court documents and the quashing of an investigation into his financial dealings. The law, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times by a vote of 63/7 yesterday, gives PNG's parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general, who in turn must appoint a tribunal to investigate the judge, who would be suspended from duty. Australian-born Opposition Leader Dame Carol Kidu is in little doubt the government will move quickly to oust Sir Salamo. "I think that will happen very quickly," she said yesterday. One of the few who got the opportunity to speak against the law, Dame Carol said it removed vita

PNG 'turning into a dictatorship'

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PAPUA New Guinea's government has granted itself the power to suspend judges, the country's opposition says. The move has made the country into an executive dictatorship, the opposition said. The government's move is being interpreted as a broadside against the nation's Chief Justice, Sir Salamo Injia, following the leaking of court documents and the quashing of an investigation into his financial dealings. The law, introduced on Tuesday and passed three times by a vote of 63/7 yesterday, gives PNG's parliament the power to refer a judge to the governor-general, who in turn must appoint a tribunal to investigate the judge, who would be suspended from duty. Australian-born Opposition Leader Dame Carol Kidu is in little doubt the government will move quickly to oust Sir Salamo. "I think that will happen very quickly," she said yesterday. One of the few who got the opportunity to speak against the law, Dame Carol said it

The Judiciary was divided now united

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A leaked 2009 Memo from Justice George Manuhu to Justice Sevua and Sakora clearly shows a rift in the Judiciary with the trio likely taking a step back and in strong worded terms condemning the actions of the Court Registrar. This follows the direction of the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to instruct the Court Registrar to recall a cheque payment made to a law firm. Just two week after the Chief Justice was arrested and charged, Justice Manuhu is seen presiding over the matter and has dismissed all charges against the Chief Justice.  In part he (Manuhu) summarised, “The chief justice was just doing his job by ensuring the payment of entitlements were correct,” Judge Manuhu said. “Police must not become an instrument of ... revenge and of unnecessary proceedings.”  He further stated “The judge's adopted son collected every single toea (cent) he wanted,”  Odd it seems but in the past three years the judiciary has never been subject to attacks from the Executive and Legislative branc

The Judiciary was divided now united

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A leaked 2009 Memo from Justice George Manuhu to Justice Sevua and Sakora clearly shows a rift in the Judiciary with the trio likely taking a step back and in strong worded terms condemning the actions of the Court Registrar. This follows the direction of the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia to instruct the Court Registrar to recall a cheque payment made to a law firm. Just two week after the Chief Justice was arrested and charged, Justice Manuhu is seen presiding over the matter and has dismissed all charges against the Chief Justice.  In part he (Manuhu) summarised, “The chief justice was just doing his job by ensuring the payment of entitlements were correct,” Judge Manuhu said. “Police must not become an instrument of ... revenge and of unnecessary proceedings.”  He further stated “The judge's adopted son collected every single toea (cent) he wanted,”  Odd it seems but in the past three years the judiciary has never been subject to attacks from the Executive and Legisla

Belden Namah calls on judges to resign

Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah has called on three judges, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to resign. In a full-page press statement in the Port Moresby-based The National newspaper, Mr Namah accuses Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and Justices Nicholas Kirriwom and George Manuhu of "judicial corruption". Mr Namah also calls for the resignation of the registrar of the Supreme and National courts.   The 361-word statement is the latest public salvo in an ongoing dispute between high-ranking officials of PNG's judicial system and elements of the national executive. Police two weeks ago arrested Sir Salamo and court registrar Ian Augerea on allegations of misappropriating funds belonging to a deceased justice's estate, releasing them soon after. The court then placed a permanent stay on the case, calling the police investigation an abuse of process because the funds

Belden Namah calls on judges to resign

Papua New Guinea's Deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah has called on three judges, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to resign. In a full-page press statement in the Port Moresby-based The National newspaper, Mr Namah accuses Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia and Justices Nicholas Kirriwom and George Manuhu of "judicial corruption". Mr Namah also calls for the resignation of the registrar of the Supreme and National courts.   The 361-word statement is the latest public salvo in an ongoing dispute between high-ranking officials of PNG's judicial system and elements of the national executive. Police two weeks ago arrested Sir Salamo and court registrar Ian Augerea on allegations of misappropriating funds belonging to a deceased justice's estate, releasing them soon after. The court then placed a permanent stay on the case, calling the police investigation an abuse of process because th

Sweep team unconstitutional

IS the Task Force Sweep a police force established under the Constitution? The only established police force by the Constitution is the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC). As a former detective and provincial commander and now a lawyer, I am qualified to make this statement. In previous cases, the former Mataguan Association established a police force in East New Britain and those associated with the organisation were charged with establishing an illegal police force. The practice is that no police constable is subjected to any direction from any member of the RPNGC including the police commissioner, in any investigation. Likewise, the investigating officer who is the arresting officer is not subjected to any direction by anyone, including the police commissioner. Here we have a civilian lawyer performing the task of a police constable. He is not sworn in as a member of the RPNGC and does not have the po­wer to arrest or investigate any crime. The only power of arrest vested i

Sweep team unconstitutional

IS the Task Force Sweep a police force established under the Constitution? The only established police force by the Constitution is the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC). As a former detective and provincial commander and now a lawyer, I am qualified to make this statement. In previous cases, the former Mataguan Association established a police force in East New Britain and those associated with the organisation were charged with establishing an illegal police force. The practice is that no police constable is subjected to any direction from any member of the RPNGC including the police commissioner, in any investigation. Likewise, the investigating officer who is the arresting officer is not subjected to any direction by anyone, including the police commissioner. Here we have a civilian lawyer performing the task of a police constable. He is not sworn in as a member of the RPNGC and does not have the po­wer to arrest or investigate any crime. The only power of arrest vested