Inquiry rejects stop bid

By JULIA DAIA BORE
DEFENCE Secretary Frederick Punangi’s attempts to get the PNGDF Board of Inquiry to “disregard” evidence given by defence force personnel on matters relating to finances were thrown out.
Mr Punangi, who earlier made an announcement through the media that he was seeking a judiciary review of the inquiry, appeared yesterday and asked the board to “disregard evidence given by my officers in respect of the department’s administration processes and procedures including accounts.”
Mr Punangi claimed that the administrative and financial matters of the defence force were outside the scope of the inquiry’s terms of reference (TOR) and should not be dealt with at this inquiry.
However, the inquiry rejected Mr Punangi’s bid outright.
Defence Force Board of Inquiry commissioner Daniel Liosi told Mr Punangi that this was the same issues raised by the Deputy Secretary Billy Porykali, who only days ago strongly opposed being questioned on the administrative and accounting matters within the Defence department.
Mr Liosi told Mr Punangi that if he disputed the inquiry’s earlier ruling then he was welcomed to take the matter to the National Court for a judicial review.
When questions relating to administration in the department were directed at Mr Punangi, he refused to answer them.



 

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