Commission of inquiry resumes next week

THE Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) will resume next week with hearings to be scheduled next month, an official says.
COI secretary Matthew Yuangu told The National that the aim was to complete the reports before next year’s general elections.
Yuangu said the commission was finalising schedules for witnesses to appear before it this year.
He said a calendar of appearance dates was expected to be fixed next week for the start in February.
The COI into the UBS loan and its related transactions were delayed by funding issues as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hearings, which started in 2019, were delayed due to non-availability of overseas counsels and solicitors. COI chairman Sir Salamo Injia said the hearing dates were rescheduled due to the delayed admission of overseas counsels and solicitors to the National Court.
The submission for overseas counsel and solicitors’ admission to be allowed to practice in PNG was made since last July but continued to be delayed.