Stay away from PDA, Kikala told

THE Waigani National Court has permanently restrained Laigaip-Porgera MP Philip Kikala and several others from interfering with the affairs, management and control of the Porgera Development Authority (PDA).
The matter went before the court in May when Mr Kikala and several former directors of PDA alleged that a sum of K358 million was reportedly misused by senior officials of PDA.
Aggrieved by the allegations, the chairman of the Porgera Landowners Association Mark Ekepa and PDA founding chairman Nixson Mangape instituted legal proceedings against Mr Kikala and the Porgera district manager Morie Iarume to verify the allegations in court.
Others named as defendants in the proceedings included Minister for Inter-Government Relations Job Pomat, secretary of Department of Provincial and Local Level Government Affairs Manasupe Zurenuoc and the State.
During the proceedings, the court found that there was insufficient evidence provided by the defendants on the missing funds and ordered the defendants to restrain from interfering with any affairs of PDA until such time substantive issues are fully heard and dealt with.
The orders were issued on May 13 and again on Sept 2.
The orders returned to court last month, however, there was still insufficient evidence on the part of the defendants to prove that the funds had been misused.
The court, on Oct 22, consolidated the orders of May 13 and Sept 2 and ordered Mr Kikala and others namely Samson Kai, Robert Alembo, Terry Angai, Opis Papo, William Gaupe, Job Kutato and their cohorts to permanently restrain from interfering with the affairs, management and control of PDA.
It also ordered that the defendants be permanently restrained from:
* Interfering, freezing, stopping or dealing in any manner or form with the bank accounts of PDA;
* Seeking to halt the release of SSG funds and other grants due and payable to the Porgera Local Level Government Special Purpose Authority; 
* Corresponding, communicating and/or dealing in any manner or form with the Minister for Finance and Treasury Patrick Pruaitch and any other person acting in that capacity or any of the statutory heads of Government departments; 
* Publishing in the print or electronic media any allegations of mismanagement or misuse of funds against the executives of PDA; and 
* Using the resources such as letter heads, facsimile, telephone, etc, of PDA to conduct personal and private interest or business.