Court orders senior officials to stop action on administrator

TWO senior government officials in Madang have been ordered not to take any further action on a district administrator while his case is pending in court.
National Court judge Justice Virgil Narakobi issued the order to acting Madang administrator Clement Tare and acting Rai Coast district administrator Anthony Sakat.
This follows an application filed in the National Court by the former Rai Coast district administrator Michael Pamaraka to have him reinstated. Pamaraka had earlier sought a judicial review of Tare’s decision to have him replaced by Sakat on Nov 17, 2021.
Leave was granted and an order was issued to Tare and Sakat not to take any further action.
Pamaraka also asked the court to have him reinstated pending the outcome of the judicial review hearing.
In 2008, Pamaraka was appointed deputy district administrator of Rai Coast and in December 2010, appointed acting district administrator. In 2015, Pamaraka was appointed chief executive officer of the Rai Coast district development authority.
On Nov 17, Tare revoked Pamaraka’s appointment and appointed Sakat in an acting capacity.
Justice Narakobi said there was an arguable case.
“The person that made the decision to revoke the appointment of Pamaraka has a distant relationship with him,” he said.
“The immediate persons who have an employer-employee relationship with Pamaraka is the chairman of the district development authority and its board.
“There is evidence before the court through the affidavit of Peter Sapia, that they wish for this relationship to continue, and they were not consulted before the revocation of the appointment of the Pamaraka.”
‘I therefore determine this consideration in favour of Pamaraka.”