Leadership tribunal adjourned

By CLARISSA MOI
A LEADERSHIP tribunal looking into allegations of misconduct in office by suspended Abau MP Sir Puka Temu has been adjourned to tomorrow due to issues relating to the availability of Sir Puka’s lawyer.
Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Panuel Mogish, at the Bomana National Court yesterday, allowed the adjournment after consulting tribunal members, senior magistrates Josephine Nidue and Wialo Sakato.
Lawyer Wesley Bigi, of Henao Lawyers who appeared for Sir Puka, asked for a two-week adjournment as Sir Puka’s lawyer, Loani Henao, was sick and had not recovered.
Justice Mogish said the tribunal could not allow adjournment for two weeks as it was too long, also taking into consideration that Sir Puka was an MP and the general elections were coming up.
“We (members of the tribunal) are ready,” he said.
“We are not concerned about preparation by lawyers, that’s a matter for the counsels to organise.
“That’s purely an administrative matter.”
Justice Mogish stressed on judicial commitment, noting that members of the tribunal also had other duties to perform.
“We’d like to ensure that we deal with this matter quickly so that the members of the tribunal can be released to go and perform some of their core functions,” he said.
“It is also in the interest of the leader to have this matter sorted out quickly as possible, it is also in the interest of the State that this matter be sorted out.
“So what we have decided is to stop further adjournments.
“It was requested to adjourn for two weeks, but we said to adjourn to Wednesday (tomorrow).”
Last week, a reference and statement of reasons were presented by Public Prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin to the tribunal.
Sir Puka was then suspended from official duties according to Section 28 of the Organic Law.