Gore ‘shouted at attendant’

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The National, Tuesday June 30th, 2015

 By CHARLES MOI

A WITNESS has told a Leadership Tribunal that Cabinet Minister Delilah Gore shouted at a female flight attendant when she instructed Gore to switch off her phone in an aircraft.

The tribunal consisting of Justice Goodwin Poole and senior magistrates Mark Selefkaru and Ernest Wilmont is looking into allegations of misconduct in office by Gore. Witness Morley Mirou was called to testify by State Prosecutor and counsel assisting the Tribunal Camillus Sambua. 

Mirou told the Tribunal in Waigani yesterday that Gore had shouted at a female flight attendant after being told to switch off the mobile phone. 

The allegations relate to Gore’s failure to comply with air safety regulations when she boarded the Air Niugini flight on April 24 last year at Girua airport in Popondetta, Northern.  Gore, the Sohe MP and Minister for Youth, Religion and Community Development, has denied the allegation. 

Mirou, a passenger on the flight, said the female flight attendant instructed Gore in a firm voice to switch off her phone as it was a company policy.

He said he intervened to calm the situation by advising the flight attendant to go to her seat. 

He said Gore later shouted at the attendant “shame on you” when the attendant went to take her seat. 

Mirou said the attendant was in tears.  Gore’s lawyer Ian Molloy showed a “passenger incident witness form” which Mirou had filled after the incident. 

Mirou admitted that his testimony to the tribunal was not fully stated in his statement to Air Niugini because he wanted to be diplomatic about the situation and did what was best for both parties.