Summons out for AG

 By HELEN REI
ATTORNEY-General and Minister for Justice Kerenga Kua has been summoned by the Ombudsman Commission to provide information it wants on the State’s K3 billion loan.
Kua, department secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe and State Solicitor Daniel Rolpagarea will appear before the Ombudsman Commission on Monday.
Others summoned are the chief executive officer of the Independent Public Business Corporation Wasantha Kumarasiri and Treasury acting secretary Dairi Vele.
It is understood that senior public servants, politicians and corporate officials involved in the Oil Search Ltd share acquisition have been summoned by the Ombudsman Commission.
The commission is using its powers under Section 27 (4) of the Constitution to direct Prime Minister Peter O’Neill and the National Executive Council to freeze all transactions on the loan to allow for investigations into it.
The Constitution Section 27 (4) says the Ombudsman Commission or other authority prescribed for the purpose under Section 28 (further provisions) may, subject to this division and to any Organic Law made for the purposes of this division, give directions, either generally or in a particular case, to ensure the attainment of the objects of this section.
Under the Parliamentary responsibility, Section 209 (1) of the Constitution says the raising and expenditure of finance by the National Government, including the imposition of taxation and the raising of loans, is subject to authorisation and control by the Parliament, and shall be regulated by an Act of Parliament.
Section 27 (5) says a person to whom this Division applies who is convicted of an offence in respect of his office or position or in relation to the performance of his functions or duties; or fails to comply with a direction under Subsection (4) or otherwise fails to carry out the obligations imposed by Subsections (1), (2) and (3) is guilty of misconduct in office.