SABL inquiry slammed

THE performance of the three senior lawyers who were commissioned to carry out an inquiry into the controversial special agriculture business leases (SABL) has been described as far below the standards required of lawyers, parliament was told.
Attorney-General Ke­renga Kua described the work of former chief magistrate John Numapo and senior lawyers Alois Jerewai and Nicho­las Mirou as poor and not worth the K15 million spent on the commission.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill also expressed disappointment in the efforts of the three, saying the inquiry had not produced a final report after 18 months costing the state K15 million.
O’Neill refused to table the interim report presented by the commission.
Kua said during grievance debate that the inquiry into the SABL was well below standards expected of senior lawyers, especially when producing a draft report covering only three of the 16 terms of reference.
“The three terms of reference basically deals with legal and administrative issues.
“The people of PNG, who are affected, want to know the facts. The legal aspects are straight forward and does not cost K15 million with an established secretariat,” Kua said.