Mutiny leader, please get out of the commander's chair!

Rimbunan Hijau sues Papua New Guinean Newspaper

Tiong - RH boss

Source: the National Newspaper http://www.thenational.com.pg/?q=node/25308
Rimbunan Hijau (PNG) Group is suing the Post-Courier for defamation over the Pomio land situation which involves one of its subsidia­ries, the logging company Gilford Ltd.
A writ of summons was served to the Post-Courier on Tuesday naming South Pacific Post Ltd as the first defendant and reporter John Pangkatana as second defendant
Private lawyer Michael Wilson, of Warner Shand Lawyers, said the newspaper company had already received the court documents.
Warner Shand Lawyers also issued a press statement yesterday saying: “We act for Rimbunan Hijau Group … we have issued procee­dings for defamation against the Post-Courier for the continuous publication of a statement that the RH Group was in contempt of a court order in relation to the operations at the oil palm project in the Pomio district.
“The purpose of this letter is a similar complaint about the article by Grace Tiden on the front page of the Post-Courier yesterday titled “SABL leases flawed – Wo­men shocked, all agreements defective”.
“We say that the headline is manifestly wrong, presumptive and sub-judice. It is an invention. Nowhere in the report (pages 1 and 5) is there any finding by the commission as to the fact that the SABL is flawed.
“The Commission of Inquiry is still proceeding and has not concluded yet. However, the Post-Courier has chosen to make a finding on its own pre-empting the Commission of Inquiry and the defamation proceedings before the court.
“The Post-Courier has never let the process of the Commission of Inquiry into SABL to take its normal course of event.
“In this regard, the Post-Courier has published more than 15 headlines similarly pre-empting the process of the inquiry and the litigation before the court. There has never been any court order restraining the oil palm pro­ject in the Pomio district.
“The Post-Courier, how­ever, has continuously made an allegation that there is such a court order and in this regard a defamation proceeding has been served on the Post-Courier on Tuesday (Nov 8).
“In this case, we note that the Post-Courier was defen­ded by Blake Dawson Lawyers but we are now advised that they are no longer acting.
“What does this mean? Has no other lawyers been appointed? Does it mean that the Post-Courier are acting for themselves or indeed that they have conceded? 
“The Post-Courier has subjected the Rimbunan Hijau Group to a trial by media before the court of public opi­nion. There are a total of about five million hectares of land that are currently alienated under a study undertaken by a professor from the Australian National University.
“The Pomio project is only about 60,000 hectares. Why is Gilford, a subsidiary of Rimbunan Hijau being targeted?
“It is a question that can only be answered by Post-Courier,” the RH has said through its lawyers, Warner Shand.

WHAT THE HELL IS LUTHER WENGE DOING?

Police in Papua New Guinea say life is returning to normal in the city of Lae, on the country's north coast, after several days of violent riots.

Over the weekend mobs of local youths looted and burned homes and businesses belonging to settlers from other parts of the country.

At least two people died in the violence, but the death toll is expected to rise as the dust settles.

One man was shot and killed by police who say he was threatening officers with a homemade gun, while the body of another man was found in the burnt ruins of a house.

Police reinforcements were flown in over the weekend and Assistant Commissioner Giossi Labi says they now have the situation under control.

"Banks, markets, all the shops are opening except the schools, but hopefully this week the schools will be back to normal," he said.

There were rumours that Lae's water supply had been contaminated, but a spokesman from Water PNG says tests have shown no sign of contamination.

Earlier, the government warned it may have to declare a state of emergency.

MOROBE GOVERNOR, LUTHER WENGE - SONGANG BLO MAUSWARA

Growing lawlessness

Ironically the rioting was sparked by youths concerned at the city's growing lawlessness.

It began last Thursday when a group of local youths gathered to present a petition to the provincial government.

They were concerned by a perceived increase in crime, particularly at Eriku, one of the city's main markets and public transport hubs.

The youths blamed people who have moved to the city from the Highlands and set up camp in Lae's many squatter settlements.

Lae has a reputation for being one of PNG's roughest cities, but even long-time residents like Meck Minnala say they have never felt so scared.

"The rioting was big. They were throwing stones at each other even in the restaurants of Lae," he said.

"A stone penetrated my window. They were wanting just about anything and everything. They went on a rampage bringing the whole city to a halt."

Mr Minnala says many residents share the rioters' concerns about crime at Eriku.

"Daylight robberies, pickpockets... and there were two rapes in which one was a 13-year-old girl," he said.

"She was going to school and raped early in the morning and there was another rape again just in broad daylight at Eriku.

"It just has been going on and nobody has been paying attention to it."

PNG PM ORDERS SALE OF GOVERNMENT JET

PNG PM orders sale of executive Falcon jet

In one of the first major decisions made by the new Papua New Guinea Government, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has ordered the immediate sale of the Executive Falcon Jet, bought by the former Somare/Temu government.

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 PORT MORESBY, PNG  (NBC News) --- In one of the first major decisions made by the new Papua New Guinea Government, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has ordered the immediate sale of the Executive Falcon Jet, bought by the former Somare/Temu government. NBC News reports the executive jet was purchased for K120 million (US$53.3 million) and cost K22 million (US$9.2 million) to maintain and operate annually. O'Neil said the aircraft was too costly to operate and does not benefit everyone. Instead, monies used for this purpose should be diverted for vital services in health, education and transport infrastructure, which will directly benefit the people. Prime Minister O’Neill announced the sale of the executive jet in his inaugural speech. He has directed the management of Air Niugini to put the aircraft up for sale. The new O'Neil/Namah government has put in place a number of development objectives it wants to achieve in the remaining ten months. Government will implement cost cutting measures in a number of least priority areas. First on the agenda, according to PM O’Neill will be the restoration of run-down education and health facilities, rehabilitation of major national highways around the country and the introduction of free education from elementary to grade 10 in 2012. A new alternate national port will be developed in the Gulf province whilst fast-tracking the Lae port development. The Prime Minister said Jacksons and Nazab airports will also be extended, and a new initiative will be launched to establish maritime transportation for all maritime provinces. This, he said will replace the controversial border development authority, which reportedly misused millions of Kina in public funds. On the ambitious Liquefied Natural Gas project, O'Neil said the government will play its part to speed up the development both in the Southern Highlands and the Gulf provinces.

Nonggorr: Both regimes at fault

Source: 

The National - Friday, August 5th 2011

 THE actions of both the in-coming government and the out-going one are in breach of the Constitution, a leading constitutional lawyer said yesterday.
Prof John Nonggorr blamed this on the “unbridled greed of politicians” acting in their own interest rather than that of the people and the country.
He described Tuesday’s election of a new prime minister as a “sad day in our history”.
Nonggorr said: “We, today, have an illegitimate government. The purported election is unconstitutional.
“Sir Michael Somare remains the prime minister.
“In his absence, due to ill-health, Sam Abal is the acting prime minister. The office of prime minister is not vacant by operation of the Constitution.
“How can parliament elect a prime minister when there is no vacancy?
“While Sir Michael has not resigned and parliament has not voted, on the advice of  two doctors coming through the governor-general, to remove Sir Michael, this purported election cannot be based on a vacancy in the office of prime minister,” Nonggorr said.
“There has not been a vote of no-confidence, which will require at least seven days’ notice and other procedures to be followed. Indeed, the period for a vote of no-confidence ought to be properly brought against a government to remove a prime minister, and for a new prime minister to be elected, expires on Aug 5 – today.
“What the members of parliament have done is a blatant disregard for the rule of law.
“Has the parliament now become so disgraceful that no one follows any rules and shows decency anymore?
“The speaker has let the country down for a very long time. This is the final straw.”
Nonggorr also attacked the immediate past government headed by Abal.
“The government that Abal was leading acted unconstitutionally as well. If that government was following the law, especially the Constitution, two doctors should have been appointed as soon as it was known that Sir Michael was undergoing heart surgery.
“That is what the law expects. Instead, the government has been pussy-footing around for more than three  months.
“If the law was followed, parliament should have voted to stand down Sir Michael already.
“But, two wrongs do not make a right. The opposition cannot do what is unconstitutional – they are as bad and disgraceful as the people they are attempting to get rid of.”
Nonggorr said the entire process of engaging Dr Isi Kevau to provide a medical report was not stipulated in law and was a “complete waste of time”.
“All these MPs should be ashamed of themselves. They are doing this for control of the money that is coming into the country before the elections. They want to control it, use it, abuse it, corrupt it. It is all about themselves. And, who suffers? PNG.
“For those observers outside of PNG, there are many decent, hard-working, law-abiding and intelligent Papua New Guineans who detest these types of behaviour displayed by so-called members of parliament.
“These MPs do not represent de cent Papua New Guineans and we are all ashamed of their behaviour and angry about the way they are playing their dirty games while the majority of our people are suffering.”
Nonggorr is the second senior lawyer this week to condemn Tuesday’s election in parliament as unconstitutional.
Peter Donigi expressed similar sentiments on Tuesday.

WILL THE REAL AG PLEASE STAND UP

Sir Arnold Amet filed a supreme court reference on the question of the election of the PNG Prime Minster, and the Supreme court throws out the application because he filed as the Atorney General when technically he is no longer the Attorney General. SO WILL THE REAL A.G PLEASE STAND UP.

PRIME MINISTER O'NEILL... REMEMBER NPF?