Judge orders reinstatement

DEPUTY Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi, on Friday, stayed the suspension of Snr Const Desmond Karmi after finding that he was suspended on dubious grounds and ordered his reinstatement.
Snr Const Karmi was suspended when he was carrying out an ongoing investigation into the Rapid Response (RR) security firm.
RR was accused of infringing the protection of privacy of conversation and use of illegal intercepted communication.
Justice Kandakasi, in the Waigani National Court, ordered that Snr Const Karmi resume duties as officer-in-charge, CID Waigani, NCD.
The court was told that Snr Const Karmi was suspended from duty for 21 days on June 16, for allegedly relating to a dubious charge.
Snr Const Karmi claimed that he was served the suspension notice without a disciplinary charge, which caused a serious defect in his suspension.
The suspension notice alleged that on June 16, he verbally threatened to kill a Rapid Response security guard Joel Okole. Const Karmi alleged that the suspension was dubious as it was made ultra vires, without a fair hearing or legal representation.
Snr Const Karmi claimed that he was not aware of the charge related to his suspension as he only went to the RR office to serve a search warrant on Alexis Samuel Alastair Tam.
He explained in his submission that he met Okole and asked for Tam but was informed that Tam was not available in the office.
Snr Const Karmi then informed Okole his reasons for being there.
Snr Const Karmi claimed that he was suspended to compromise investigation against Tam. The injunction will returned on July 6.