Leadership tribunal for Maprik MP resumes

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
THE leadership tribunal hearing of Maprik MP John Simon resumed in Port Moresby yesterday with three witnesses testifying.
The tribunal comprising Justice Nicholas Miviri and magistrates Michael Apie’e and Nancy Lipai heard testimonials from two Maprik-based police officers, Snr Const Don Anikata and Snr Const Ronald Simbinale.
The two officers were brought from East Sepik to answer allegations of receiving gratuity payments from Simon under the guise of applying for loans for agriculture projects.
The two were alleged to have supported Simon in his 2012 election campaigns.
Public prosecutor Francis Popeu presented to the tribunal his statements of reasons (SOR) letters requesting financial assistance of K1,500 for poultry projects embedded with the names of the two officers.
The third witness called in the afternoon sitting, was Maprik district administrator Joshua Imina, who assumed the position in March last year.
Popeu in his SOR inquired on method of payments made under the PaG accounting system (PGAS) which Imina stated that he had no knowledge of, saying that he was only introduced to the integrated financial management system (IFMS) when assuming his role.
Popeu presented documents relating to a method of payment used under the IFMS system which Imani responded to.
“Finance form three and finance form four are used to execute payments and this is for the offline process,” Imani said.
Popeu then told the tribunal that he would seek to have a district treasury document tendered as evidence relating to payments sought from the district treasury’s operating accounts.
Simon’s lawyer Greg Sheppard raised objection to Popeu’s request, questioning its (document) authenticity basing of paragraph 61 of the evidence Act stating that in order to make it admissible certain things needed to be included, including evidence of source.
A fourth witness, Felix Buingen, who failed to turn up to testify, had a warrant issued for his arrest to testify.
The matter will reconvene tomorrow for submission on evidence.