Namah allowed to attend session

By CLIFFFORD FAIPARIK
VANIMO-Green MP Belden Namah has been allowed to attend Parliament after his suspension for almost a year while he faced a leadership tribunal.
Namah was suspended in August 2017 after the Ombudsman Commission referred him to the tribunal over his conduct, in particular an incident during which he stormed into the National Court in Port Moresby in an attempt to arrest Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia on May 24, 2012.
Speaker Job Pomat yesterday said a National Court decision had allowed Namah back into the parliament chamber.
Justice Oagile Bethuel Key Dingake ruled that Namah had granted an application for leave for a judicial review of the tribunal’s decision to dismiss him as an MP.
Justice Dingake granted leave for a judicial review on July 5. The decision of the leadership tribunal to dismiss Namah was delivered on April 9, 2018.
The leadership tribunal comprised Justice Terrace Higgins and senior magistrates Patricia Tivese and Alex Kalandi. They recommended Namah’s dismissal as the Vanimo-Green MP.
Pomat said he was satisfied with the court orders staying the dismissal orders “and is of the view that Namah remains the Vanimo-Green MP”.
“Until further advice of the court to rescind its decision, Namah is entitled to perform his role as the Vanimo-Green MP. The chair is also satisfied that the matter is before the court and should not be discussed in parliament.”
Pomat also welcomed Sohe MP Henry Amuli after he won his election petition case.