Namah welcomes PM’s lawsuit

 OPPOSITION leader Belden Namah has welcomed the defamation lawsuit filed against him by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Namah said in a statement yesterday said that he would not be intimidated by the lawsuit.

“The people of Papua New Guinea must know that this lawsuit levelled against me is a diversion of exposing high-level corruption in our country,” he said.

Namah also urged O’Neill to remove the defendants named in the writs – Scott Waide and John Eggins – who were innocent and only doing their jobs in reporting what he had said.

Namah challenged O’Neill to have the court hearing in the Buang district of Morobe or a village court where his remarks were made.

A media statement on Wednesday said O’Neill had filed a writ of summons in the National Court in Waigani, suing Namah defamation.

The defamation proceedings related to a statement allegedly made by Namah on April 25 in a public gathering in Morobe and was broadcast on EMTV.

O’Neill is alleging that during his speech in Buang, the Opposition leader had uttered words to the effect that O’Neill had stolen money from the National Provident Fund, and was now stealing from PNG.

Namah was also accused of uttering words claiming that the prime minister was receiving kickbacks from contracts awarded by the government.

“I have sued Mr Namah. He has an opportunity to front up in court and provide evidence for the very serious allegations he has raised, or face the consequences,” O’Neill said.