MP files to dismiss tribunal case

MAPRIK MP John Simon filed a no-case submission before a leadership tribunal yesterday, asking for the allegations made against him to be dismissed.
The tribunal consisted of Justice Nicholas Miviri and magistrates Michael Apie’e and Nancy Lipai.
Simon through his lawyer Greg Sheppard, from Young and Williams Lawyers, submitted to discredit the authenticity of the documents contained in the statement of reasons (SOR) which was used against Simon during his leadership tribunal hearings.
“The Ombudsman Commission is tasked to make investigation and it is not within the emblem of their jurisdiction to simply accept documents from a complaint and not verify that each and everyone one of those documents is accurate and factual,” Sheppard submitted.
Sheppard told the tribunal that documents contained in the SOR were not the documents that the witnesses had signed in requesting for discretionary grants from Simon.
Sheppard argued that the evidence presented were insufficient and was a breach of s.27 (2) of the Constitution.
Public prosecutor Francis Popeu responded to Sheppard’s remarks.
“This is a matter (evidence) that should have been addressed before the tribunal sat to hear this proceedings.
“The leader (Simon) has not done that and the tribunal has dealt with preliminary issues relating to this hearing and has in its jurisdictions to hear this proceedings,” Popeu said.
Popeu throughout his submission stated that nine allegations were made against Simon.