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Counsel grills Punangi
By JULIA DAIA BORE
THE senior counsel assisting the PNG Defence Force Board of Inquiry John
Kawi has expressed surprise at Defence Force Secretary Frederick
Punangi’s moves to halt the inquiry through a judiciary review.
“I am just beginning to wonder why people are jumping up and down, the
way they are doing and trying to bar the Defence Board of Inquiry from
successfully reaching its end.”
Mr Kawi yesterday said he particularly could not understand why, of all
people, the Defence Secretary’s moves not only to take the matter to
judiciary review; but about his attempts to stop the inquiry from
continuing.
He said Mr Punangi was the Defence Secretary and as such was the adviser
to the minister.
“As the minister’s adviser, Mr Punangi was also a party to the
formulation of the board of inquiry and its terms of reference (TOR).
“So, why is he suddenly jumping up and down about the inquiry and making
moves to stop its continuation?
“He (Punangi) was the inquiry board’s number one witness to give
evidence. Why did he not raise these jurisdiction issues then? Why, now;
when the inquiry is almost at its end and he suddenly jumps up and cries
foul. What is his motive?
“What I cannot understand is that the National Executive Council (NEC)
made a decision and I have that copy of the decision with me. It
directed the Defence Minister to institute this Defence Board of
Inquiry. As a Secretary to the department, Mr Punangi would have been a
party to the TOR being drawn up to effect the inquiry. So, why is he
crying foul now?”
Mr Kawi vowed to defend any action brought to court to stop the inquiry.
He said the issue here was that PNG laws were broken in delivering
fugitive Julian Moti to the Solomon Islands, by what seems to be illegal
means, using Government facilities and without proper authorisation.
That is what the Government of PNG sanctioned for the inquiry to find
out,” he said.
 
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