Court to review Ganasi’s election petition

 By ADRIAN MATHIAS

THE election petition for the South Fly open electorate, in Western, is expected to return in the Supreme Court for review on Aug 29.

Justice Stephen Kassman set the date yesterday during the direction hearing in Port Moresby.

Ousted Deputy Speaker and South Fly MP Aide Ganasi is reviewing an earlier National Court’s decision that dismissed his 2012 election win earlier this year.

He then filed in the Supreme Court for a review and that was accepted by Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia in April on the grounds that Ganasi had demonstrated serious points of facts and law in relation to the earlier ruling.

Reading from his written judgment in April, Sir Salamo said the trial judge had mixed up two sections of law in his judgment on the case. 

Acting judge Justice Martin Ipang had on Feb 27 stripped Ganasi of the seat he won during last year’s general election after upholding an election petition by former MP, Sali Subam. 

Ipang had earlier ordered a by-election for the seat.

Subam, who came third in the race, filed the petition against Ganasi on allegations of bribery.

There were four bribery allegations directed against Ganasi but only two were tried and upheld by Ipang.