PM told to resign

 By JEFFREY ELAPA

OPPOSITION leader Belden Namah has called on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and his two senior ministers implicated in the finance saga to resign from their ministerial portfolios after a warrant of arrest was issued by a court.

However O’Neill and Finance Minister James Marape said they could not resign when orders were manipulated by Namah and a policeman with him.

Namah said at a press conference yesterday that the warrant order was issued by the Magistrate Comas Bidar on Nov 28 that O’Neill, Marape and Treasurer Don Polye be arrested and brought before the court for charges relating to corruption, conspiracy to defraud and abuse of authority and office over the payment of K71.8 million to Paul Paraka Lawyers between  Jan 24, 2012, and May 6, 2013.

He called on the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General Kerenga Kua to resign as well, as an allegation of assault by him brought disrepute to the office he held.

In a press conference on Monday, Namah gave a 72-hour notice to Police Commissioner Tom Kulunga and the top brass to exercise their constitutional duties as stipulated under Section 197, without fear or favour to execute the order to arrest the leaders.

He stated that failure to execute the warrant would mean that he would be forced to pursue contempt charges against the officers. 

Yesterday, Namah said O’Neill, Marape and Polye brought disrepute to the office they held.

He called on them to surrender to police and the courts as there was a court warrant out from a competent court.

Namah called on O’Neill to relinquish the police ministry.

“Those orders were manipulated by him (Namah) and a rogue policeman with him. I do not have to step down because a forged letter may be involved,” O’Neill said.

Marape said: “The finding of the proper investigation the police and the sweep team are doing will ascertain who has committed a crime and until guilty is pronounced by the sanctioned investigation, I don’t resign to a Belden Namah influenced rogue member of the police. Maybe someone should ask Namah whether he will resign from the contempt of court before him, including his stupidity of harassing the chief justice in a Supreme Court in session.” 

Namah lashed out at the media for not publishing his call on the police to execute the arrest of media members as well.