Official’s application rejected

By KARO JESSE
NATIONAL Court judge Justice Royale Thompson yesterday rejected an application for judicial review filed by suspended Health Department corporate manager Paul Dopsie to contest the decision of former Health secretary Pasco Kase.
The court rejected the application after Justice Thompson assessed that there were no arguable case.
Dopsie was suspended by the department after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in an inquiry obtained evidence that Dopsie was allegedly involved in certain acts of bribery in awarding services of procurement supply and distribution contracts.
Former Health secretary Kase suspended Dopsie on Nov 29, prior to the allegation of bribe inquired at the PAC.
Dopsie through his lawyer Michael Koimo, argued that the Department of Health did not give Dopsie his constitutional rights to answer to his allegations of bribery surfaced against him at the PAC inquiry. Koimo relied on parliamentary powers and privileges Act which claimed that Dopsie was immune from any action unless PAC completed its inquiry.
Koimo argued that the suspension should have come after the PAC completed its inquiry and made further recommendation about their findings.
The lawyer further argued that the subject of the inquiry was to assess the transparency of awarding of procurement supply and distribution contract and not allegation of bribery levelled against Dopsie.
However, Justice Thompso in an ex parte proceedings told the court that the decision of the suspension had nothing to do with Dopsie as he was employed on contract basis.
“There are no requirement in his contract giving Dopsie an opportunity to respond.”