MP’s court proceeding dismissed

 By ZACHERY PER  

THE National Court has dismissed a court proceeding filed by Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa to manage and implement funds in a trust account for the Goroka town market redevelopment project.

Kimisopa sued Eastern Highlands Governor Julie Soso Akeke, Eastern Highland provincial administration, the provincial treasury, Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, Secretary for Lands and Physical Planning and Secretary for Treasury seeking orders from the court to take custody of the market redevelopment by managing and implementing a K22 million parked in the Goroka Market Redevelopment trust account.

The Government through the public investment program released K2 million in 2013 and  K10 million in 2014, while the provincial government through the provincial services improvement programme injected K10m as counterpart funding.

Kimisopa sought orders from the National Court in Goroka on October 23, 2015 for the K12m to be transferred to Goroka district treasury from the provincial treasury to manage the funds and implement the project claiming that the Gahuku local level government has over the years been looking after the market which it is located within his Goroka district. 

He said the project money was secured from an initial submission Goroka district made to the planning department. 

However, the court noted that Governor Soso has the political mandate and responsibility over the project because it was one of the major  projects in the province.