Court rejects MP’s case

THE Supreme Court has dismissed a case filed by Kerowagi MP Bari Palma challenging a court decision to declare him bankrupt.
The Supreme Court panel comprised of Justice Ellenas Batari, Justice David Cannings and Justice Jeffrey Shephard.
The court removed a stay order it imposed on June 20, 2017, on a ruling by the National Court which declared Palma insolvent.
Palma, a candidate in the 2012 general election, lost to Camillus Dangima Bongoro.
He then filed an election petition challenging Bongoro’s win.
On Nov 13, 2013, the National Court dismissed Palma’s election petition and ordered him to pay costs incurred by the Electoral Commission and Bongoro.
He was ordered to pay K275,119 to Bongoro.
When he failed to do that, Bongoro’s lawyer, Martin Kombri from Kombri and Associates, filed insolvency proceedings in the National Court on July 6, 2016.
On June 1, 2017, Justice Derek Hartshorn declared Palma insolvent in the National Court.
He also ordered that a meeting of creditors be held to elect a trustee and Palma to appear before the registrar of the National Court to deliver a full and verified statement on oath of his debts and other liabilities.
On June 5, 2017, Palma appealed against the National Court decision in the Supreme Court.
He was granted a stay order on June 20, 2017. While the appeal was pending in court, Palma was elected Kerowagi MP in the 2017 general election.