Court adjourns PM’s case

 A COURT case involving Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and Opposition leader Belden Namah was adjourned yesterday because the lawyer representing the latter was away at a funeral.

Namah is challenging in court the suspension of four police officers who had investigated complaints he lodged with police against O’Neill and two other Cabinet ministers.

Lawyer Tiffany Twivey, representing O’Neill, informed Justice Catherine Davani that Namah’s lawyer Alois Jerewai had requested in a letter that the case be adjourned because he was attending the funeral of the late Peter Donigi in East Sepik.

Lawyers from both sides consented to the adjournment. 

Davani adjourned the case to March 4 and extended the interim orders that police lay off arresting Namah, Treasurer Don Polye and Finance Minister James Marape. 

The interim orders issued on Jan 20 were agreed to by lawyers from both sides to maintain the status quo until the matter returned to court. 

Police Commissioner Toami Kulunga had said earlier the four police officers were suspended for their involvement in the issuing of warrants for the arrest of O’Neill, Polye and Marape. 

Kulunga said the police hierarchy was not aware of the warrants of arrest until the matter was highlighted in the media. 

Namah had written to Kulunga last month requesting that the four officers be reinstated. 

Kulunga had viewed the letter as a threat and ordered the arrest of Namah but that was stayed by the National Court.