Osborne’s case not political, says lawyer

By ANGELINE KARIUS
THE case regarding the deportation of Graham Leslie Osborne was yesterday withdrawn from other proceedings before the three-man Supreme Court bench.
Osborne’s lawyer, John Gawi asked the panel to remove his client’s case from the list of cases which were related to the political crisis.
Gawi told the panel he had received instructions from his client on the basis of him “being a foreigner and residing under an entry permit which gives him no right to question the legitimacy of government in his host country”.
“Therefore, my client refuses to argue in challenging a decision by Jamie Maxtone-Graham and Ano Pala,” Gawi said.
“The case will proceed in a normal way and not stayed. That is the effect of the instructions as per the directives issued in the Supreme Court yesterday.”
Osborne, who runs a restaurant in Port Moresby, was deported last month after his entry permit was cancelled by acting Foreign Affairs and Immigration Minister Maxtone-Graham over allegations he had meddled in local politics.
The court order was served twice on Jan 13 and 16 respectively to acting chief of immigration Joseph Nobetau.