Court sets date to review NEC decision over appointment

THE Waigani National Court has set the date to review a National Executive Council (NEC) decision to withdraw the appointment of Col Otto Pandum as the new National Intelligence Organisation (NIO) director-general.
Judge Nicholas Miviri yesterday set Aug 7 for trial after Pandum sought judicial review, claiming that Personnel Management secretary Taies Sansan was ignoring NEC decision No. 225/18 for him to be appointed the new NIO director-general.
Instead, Sansan, in The National last Aug 2, called for new applicants for the NIO DG’s position in an advertisement while Col Pandum’s judicial review was still before the court.
Justice Miviri set the date after State lawyer Harrison White did not object to Pandum’s argument through his lawyer Brendan Lai that NEC had never provided any decision in court since last May 6 to revoke the appointment.
The first judge to hear Pandum’s judicial review application, Justice Collin Makail, ordered for the pre-trial to be held last May 13 for NEC, the Ministerial Executive Appointment Committee (MEAC), Public Service Minister (former) Elias Kapavore, Personnel Management (then) acting secretary Taies Sansan and NEC secretary Grace So-on to provide the NEC decision No. 225/18 for Pandum’s appointment as the new NIO DG.
However, that NEC decision had not been produced in court at various dates set by the court of which the latest date was yesterday.
NEC has not produced any decision in court to revoke Pandum’s appointment.
Earlier on, MEAC chairman (then) Kapavore had recommended to NEC on July 25, 2018, to appoint Pandum after MEAC members consisting of (then) Deputy Prime Minister Charles Abel, (then) National Planning Minister Richard Maru, (then) Bougainville Affairs Minister William Samb, (then and current) Justice and Attorney-General Minister Davis Steven ruled in favour of Pandum’s application.
Kapavore, when he was the public service minister and MEAC chairman, confirmed to this paper on Aug 5, 2018 that PNGDF intelligence unit director Pandum was NIO’s new DG.
“Col Pandum has been appointed by the (then) NEC with (former) Opposition leader Patrick Pruaitch’s support and has now put to rest many questions regarding this position,” Kapavore said.
Pandum was appointed to replace Benjamin Umba.