Court rules in favour of working committee

THE body tasked with governing amateur boxing in the country, the PNG Amateur Boxing Union (PNGABU), has been called on to step down by an “executive working committee” chaired by Port Moresby Amateur Boxing Association (PMABA) president Dominic Bauwai.
The PNGABU working committee claim that the current Union executive led by Lohial Nuau are illegally occupying office because they failed to hold elections and a national championship in Madang in November of 2007 when the three year term had come to a close.
“They (Nuau and the Union executive) basically over stayed for a year after 2007 and did not bother to hold elections for a new executive which was unconstitutional,” Bauwai said last week.
“It’s also interesting to note that 2008 was an Olympic year so that probably had some bearing on why things happened the way they did.”
Nuau and the PNGABU have repeatedly dismissed the claims by Bauwai’s group and has not responded to court proceedings taken against him in the Port Moresby District court in 2008 and up till the present.
In court action against Nuau, Bauwai and the executive working committee have asked that the current PNGABU executive be ordered to step aside and allow a democratic process to take place for the interest of amateur boxing in the country. The working committee is seeking to have the current Union executive restrained from further financial and administrative involvement with the PNGABU and to have in interim the working committee take charge of the Union’s affairs with the calling of immediate elections its first order of business.
“We hope the court can recognise that the current executive of the PNGABU have held onto their positions without due democratic process and therefore continue to do so illegally,” a frustrated Bauwai said.
Since the instituting of court action by the working committee the country’s overall sports body the PNG Sports Federation has chosen not to involve itself with secretary general Sir John Dawanincura stating his desire for the sport to resolve its grievances internally.
“As much as possible we would like to encourage sports to resolve issues within the confines of respective constitutions before a third party is called in to adjudicate,” Sir John said in a letter dated Feb 26, 2008.
Presently, the latest order by the Port Moresby District Court handed down last month ordered that:
* The PNGSF and Olympic Committee recognise the PNGABU executive working committee.
* The PNGSF&OC stops its dealings with Lohial Nuau and executives. 
* All banks freeze all operating accounts of the PNGABU until new signatories are in place.
* All decisions and resolutions passed by the PNGABU after November 2007 be null and void.
The matter is scheduled for mention today.