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By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
A FINANCE officer charged with misappropriation of K14,000 belonging to the
councillors of Mekeo in the Central province appeared before the District Court.
Central Police Commander Chief Insp Peter Taiang said Jeffrey Wainumbuk from
Avatip village in the Ambunti district, East Sepik province, appeared before the
Waigani District Court last Tuesday.
No plea was taken and he was released on K500 bail, and will be in court again
on Sept 21 for hearing.
Wainumbuk allegedly cashed cheques amounting to K14,000 belonging to the
councillors at a shop in Boroko, while being employed as a pay clerk with the
Kairuku district treasury office at Bereina station in the Central province.
Wainumbuk had K8,000 in cash and K6,000 in cheque when police arrested him after
a tip-off.
Tari parents seek legal action to lift
suspension
PARENTS in Tari, Southern Highlands province, are
seeking legal action to lift the suspension of classes at Tari Secondary School
to allow students to return to class immediately.
Led by Tari mayor George Tagobe, they have instructed lawyer Danny Gonol of
Mount Hagen-based Paulus Dowa Lawyers to immediately institute legal actions
against Catholic Bishop of Mendi Stephen Reichert to lift the suspension of the
school for students to return to school next Monday.
The Catholic-run and managed school was forced to close when renegade students,
mostly from the Hela region, last week threatened to attack any student or
teacher that wanted to return to class.
The group, believed to be influenced by a local teacher, demanded the immediate
removal of the deputy principal over allegations of maladministration.
They warned if that was not done, there would be no classes and threatened to
attack any teacher or student who decided otherwise. More than 10 teachers and
over 240 non-Hela students have fled for their lives.
An investigation into the situation is currently underway.
Nape win disputed
A PETITION has been filed challenging the election
of Speaker Jeffery Nape as Member for Sinasina-Yongomugl.
The petition was filed yesterday by Major Wou Nimai, runner-up in the last
elections.
Mr Nape polled 7,956 votes to retain his seat, defeating Mr Nimai who polled
5,875 votes.
In the petition filed before the Waigani National Court yesterday, Mr Nimai
raised allegations of bribery committed by Mr Nape.
Mr Nimai claimed Mr Nape induced people with money to vote for him.
He had listed names of people and the amount they took in documents filed in
court, and claimed many of them were ready to testify on his behalf.
Registrar of the Court Ian Augerea yesterday wrote to Clerk of Parliament Don
Pandan advising of the filing of the petition.
Bribery was a serious offence under election laws and the petitioner only had to
prove one instance of this for the election to be annulled.
Parliament urged to make HIV/AIDS test
compulsory
PARLIAMENT must make legislative amendments to the
HIV/AIDS Management Practices (HAMP) Act to make testing for HIV/AIDS
compulsory.
This is the view of coffee growers in the upper Asaro area of Eastern Highlands
province.
They raised the concern yesterday during a HIV/AIDS awareness forum.
Siherene coffee founder David Orimaro and community leader Frank Wairepo said if
such measures were not taken, half the population of PNG would be wiped out in
10 years.
Mr Wairepo said the argument that such a move would breach individual and
constitutional rights must now be set aside if “we are to save the population of
PNG.
He said the PNG workforce would be decimated and the economy devastated.
However, HIV/AIDS medical counsellor and awareness facilitator Sr Prim Rose,
explained human rights and the new HAMP Act discouraged discrimination and
stigmatisation.
 
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