Governor challenges legal process

MOROBE Governor Ginson Saonu has filed a court case challenging the legality of the process that led to the setup of a leadership tribunal to inquire into misconduct in office allegations against him.
Saonu, through his lawyer Ralph Saulep, made this known to Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi at the National Court in Waigani on Thursday.
The Ombudsman Commission, Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin, Auditor General Gordon Kega and the State are named as defendants in the case.
“This is an urgent application by the plaintiff (Saonu) seeking an order to prevent the impanelling of a leadership tribunal as requested by the second defendant (Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin),” Saulep said.
“The matter is urgent as upon a request by the public prosecutor where the panellist are impanelled and the charges are proceeded to be presented at the tribunal, it will result in an automatic suspension of the member.”
However, Justice Kandakasi raised the issue of the court’s jurisdiction.
“The process in this case is that if a leadership tribunal is appointed, if you have issues, raise that as an issue in that forum,” Justice Kandakasi said.
Saulep, in light of the legal issues raised by Justice Kandakasi, asked for an adjournment to seek further instructions from Saonu.
Solicitor-General Tauvasa Tanuvasa, who appeared for Kega and the State, said Saonu was not without recourse as the governor could raise the issue at the leadership tribunal.
“This is not the leadership tribunal,” Tanuvasa said.
“This is an abuse of the court process.”
Justice Kandakasi adjourned the matter to Thursday for parties to give submissions on the issue of the court’s jurisdiction and on the issue of abuse of court process.