No order to deport lawyer, says O’Neill

By JEFFREY ELAPA
THE government has never issued any deportation notice for PNG’s prominent lawyer Greg Sheppard, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill said on Tuesday.
He said he was not aware of any order for Sheppard’s deportation and didn’t think there was any order in place.
“He is a very senior lawyer in the country.
“I understand that two immigration officers went to his home last night but I’m not aware of anybody giving him orders for deportation,” he said.
However, he said that Sheppard was managing the community college trust funds and therefore he needed to
explain.
“He only needs to report on the funds for the community college he manages,” O’Neill
said.
He was responding to questions without notice from the leader of the opposition Belden Namah, who wanted to know why a notice of deportation was given.
He said that Sheppard was to have been deported yesterday morning for no good reason, but that did not happen.
Namah said Sheppard was a prominent lawyer with more than 30 years’ legal practice in the country and who had saved many leaders, including him and the prime minister in legal battles.
O’Neill, however said the report regarding deportation was not true.