Kaluwin urged to retain, recruit lawyers

By Sally Tiwari
Outgoing acting Public Prosecutor Camillus Sambua has urged his successor, Pondros Kaluwin, to seriously look into recruiting and retaining lawyers in that office.
Sambua said with the planned increase in the number of crime cases to an average of 19 per month next year, the public prosecutor’s office would be short of gazetted state prosecutors.
In a handover cere­mony yesterday, Sambua who took office in March, said he had two priorities:
l    To achieve full operational autonomy from the Department of Justice and the Attorney-General; and
l    The office be fully staffed and functioning effectively by mid-2012.
Among his achievements was the linking of the electronic case management system of the Madang, Kimbe and Kokopo branches to the Waigani office.
He congratulated Kaluwin on his appointment, saying he was not able to achieve his priorities within the limited time but believed that the same initiatives which were instituted by his predecessors Jim Wala Tamate and the late Jack Pambel would be taken further by the new office holder.
Kaluwin said he would ensure the initiatives of his predecessors were achieved.
Kaluwin, who will serve a six-year term thanked his mentors, Justice Panuel Mogish and Ombudsman Commissioner Chronox Manek for their support and advice.