Petition against Marape fails due to filing process

 TARI-Pori MP and Finance Minister James Marape has won anelection petition case filed against him by Johny Philip.

The petition was thrown out by Justice Joseph Yagi last Friday in Tari on the grounds that there was  deficiency in the process of filing petitions.

He upheld the submission filed by Marape’s lawyer  Robert Leo of Leo Lawyers when the petitioner moved to amend the petition.

Philip, who lost the seat by 10,775 votes to Marape, filed the petition based on alleged errors,  omissions and illegal practices by the Electoral Commission, its agents and Marape’s supporters.

Yagi said the election petition was a serious matter and required petitioners who felt aggrieved (by the election results) to come and plead facts correctly.

“You cannot come to court as a place where you just come unprepared, hence in this petition the petitioner is stuck by the wrong pleading and goes down by it as it is well outside of the 40 days to amend the petition,” he said.

Marape thanked Leo and Electoral Commission lawyer Ray Williams for referring to correct laws that exposed the weakness of the petition.

He also commended the Tari-Pori people for behaving themselves during the court case.