Kramer denies 13 misconduct claims

SUSPENDED Madang MP Bryan Kramer has pleaded not guilty to 13 allegations of misconduct in office brought against him at a Leadership Tribunal last Friday.
Tribunal chairman Justice Lawrence Kangwia read the allegations to Kramer to which he pleaded not guilty through his lawyer Miglshi Giruakonda.
The other members of the tribunal are senior magistrates Josephine Nidue and Edward Komia.
The tribunal was appointed by Deputy Chief Justice Ambeng Kandakasi on Aug 16 under the Organic Law on Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership.
Three of the allegations related to social media publications purportedly scandalising the judiciary — namely the conduct of Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika — in suggesting a conflict of interest.
Other allegations against Kramer related to decisions made by the Madang District Development Authority (DDA) to establish two companies – the Madang District Works and Equipment Ltd, and the Madang Ward Project Ltd – to implement the DDA’s development programmes.
The funding was for the wards to build classrooms and aid posts, and repair town roads.
It is alleged that Kramer misappropriated K30.6 million of the services improvement programme funds to a company owned by a member of the development authority.
Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin told the tribunal that the plan was to conduct the trial in Port Moresby and Madang.
Giruakonda questioned why the Chief Ombudsman was absent on Friday after the parties had agreed (on Sept 30) that he as the lead investigator should be present to hand over relevant documents to the tribunal.
“Why did the Chief Ombudsman decide to abandon this and attend something else in New Zealand? If the Chief Ombudsman had another meeting, the members of tribunal should have been made aware and another date should have been set,” he said. Kaluwin said they were not aware that the chief ombudsman would be travelling overseas.
The matter returns on Oct 24.