Court issues orders to reopen ops

THE National Court has issued orders for all oil palm industry corporation (Opic) offices around the country be unlocked and return to normal operations, and restrained the Opic board and Livestock and Agriculture Minister John Simon from engaging police to interfere, except by the order of the court.
The court also ordered the Opic board and minster to respect the decision approved last December in appointing Kepson Pupita as Opic general secretary.
Justice David Cannings made the orders yesterday, following the hearing of notices of motion filed by former Opic board chairman Stuart Tatauro, seeking restraining orders and an injunction over a decision and directives issued by Simon on March 30, to have former Opic general-secretary Leslie Wungen reinstated as acting general secretary.
Tatauro’s lawyer Nicholas Tame submitted that the minister did not have the power to control the functions of the Opic board, since powers of appointment lay with the board.
Tame argued that the minister acted unilaterally and without the recommendation of the Opic board to have Wungen reinstated as the acting general secretary.