Court orders office to reinstate staff

 By MALUM NALU

THE National Court has ordered Auditor-General Philip Nauga to reinstate three senior officers he sacked in 2013.

Justice David Cannings ordered Nauga to reinstate Thomas Holland, Peter Siperau and Gabriel Koh to their former positions by Dec 16, and reimburse their salaries and entitlements by Jan 18.

Nauga had found them guilty of disciplinary offences in December 2013 and sacked them. The three took their cases up with the Public Service Commission, which on Jan 16 this year annulled Nauga’s decision to sack them.

Nauga did not comply with the PSC’s decision. The trio then took their cases up to the court.

“The plaintiffs were senior officers of the Office of Auditor-General,” Cannings said.

“They were charged with disciplinary offences. The responded to the charges but the Auditor-General found them guilty and terminated their employment.

“The applied for review of those decisions by the Public Services Commission. It upheld their applications and decided to annul the decision of the AG to dismiss them.

“The AG did not comply with the Public Services Commission decision, regarding it as a recommendation, which he declined to implement on the grounds that it was flawed.”