By BRYAN KRAMER

This morning the Supreme Court three man bench (3 judges) handed down a unanimous (all in agreement) ruling dismissing Appeal proceedings SC87 of 2014 filed by Minister of Finance James Marape.

Marape filed the SC87 Appeal challenging an earlier ruling of the National Court that refused the Prime Minister Peter O'Neill and Marape's application (request) preventing Police from arresting them in relation to the illegal payments of K71.8 million to Paraka Lawyers.
So what does it all actually mean?

In short, the Supreme Court in the course of the above proceedings issued an interim stay (temporary stop order) preventing Police from arresting Marape and O'Neill including his lawyers and staff until it made a final ruling.

Now that the Supreme Court has ruled against them dismissing the case it means the interim stay order issued in those proceedings have also been discharged (no longer in force).
So can the Prime Minister or Marape file further proceedings?
No. Once an appeal has been determined by a three man bench or more of Supreme Court it is final. They may file a slip rule application but it would serve no effect. However further appeal proceedings are no longer available to them.

PNG Supreme Court judge Sir Bernard Sakora with judicial corruption by police

PNGBlogs

12/04/2017

Anti-corruption police in Papua New Guinea arrest one of the country's top judges and charge him with judicial corruption.

Bernard Sakora being brought into Boroko Police Station in Port Moresby. (Credit: ABC)

Anti-corruption police in Papua New Guinea have arrested one of the country's top judges and charged him with judicial corruption. 

Police said Supreme Court judge Bernard Sakora accepted a 100,000 kina ($45,000) payment in 2009 from a company linked to Paul Paraka Lawyers, a law firm accused of defrauding the PNG Government of millions of dollars via inflated legal bills. 

The director of PNG's National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate, Matthew Damaru, said his officers came across the payment while investigating the complex and long-running case. "The arrest is a result of ongoing investigations to the payment of legal bills to Paul Paraka Lawyers where this payment to the judge was discovered and the investigation conducted into the payment made," he said. "He [Bernard Sakora] denied receiving the money." 

Papua New Guinea Government Borrows Over Half a Billion Kina to Stay Afloat

Bryan Kramer
THE VOICE Of PNG, Facebook
(March 01 at 1:25)

O'Neill Government borrowed a further K654 million in the last two weeks to stay afloat. The funds were raised through auctioning of Government Treasury Bills by the Central Bank. K198 million was raised on 17 February 2016 to meet the public servants pay run for payroll 5 and K455 million was raised just last Wednesday's (26/2/16) to ensure this payroll is met.

Central Bank website defines Treasury Bills as a financial debt instrument issued by the Central Bank on behalf of the Government to raise funds in order to finance budget deficits. A budget deficit is when Government expenditure is higher than revenue (spending more than it earns).

PNG a Sinking Titanic

Like the Titanic, a British passenger liner sunk in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg during her maiden voyage, Papua New Guinea is sinking slowly in the great Pacific Ocean…The Roses will remind the nations of the world of this sinking nation as tales and stories in many years to come. Whether you believe it or NOT it’s happening already.

Untimely passing of Waimin Nathaniel Molan Dian-In Loving Memory

By Steve Langa
Facebook, 31/01/2015

Late Nathaniel (Middle)

Lately heard of the untimely accident that took the life of one of my dear brothers, Waimin Nathaniel Molan Dian. Brother you left too soon and how my heart cries out for you all day today!

Brother you took with you your sincere smiles, unique vocal, an analytical mind, and most of all your admirable personality that captivates peer attention!

You truly were one of a kind to us who know you. You were designed special and at the minimum level (you) demonstrated (what you were made for) it to be desired for and talked about it whether for good or bad. Despite critics, you played a leadership among your peers even though you were never the type that influenced mass. But you definitely had a relentless mind to do what you do best - to put that smile on us when it mattered.

Seemed to seeing no aging by time and hence appearing to be still in your late 20s caused me to think we would continue to live on until the sudden encounter. Among the many other brothers/cousins and uncles I met (during my short visit lo ples), your typical personality quietly triggered old memories which speaks of the kind of personality you are!

Hela Governor Anderson Agiru ousted in

By Ramcy Wama
Post Courier, December 23,2015, 01:13 am 
 

Ousted Governor Anderson Agiru

Hela Provincial Assembly Members remove Governor Anderson Agiru

'No-one will remove me, only God will remove me'

THE Hela Provincial Assembly members have removed pioneer Governor Anderson Agiru in a vote of no-confidence at the provincial assembly meeting yesterday.

However, Governor Agiru also sought a court order blocking the move claiming that "no-one will remove me, only God will remove me". Justice Derek Hartshorn granted the orders stopping the defendants from meeting yesterday or at any later date until further orders from the court.

The matter returns on January 5 for inter parte hearing as to whether the urgent relief granted should continue. Mr Agiru’s removal was through a special provincial assembly members’ meeting that was chaired by deputy governor and Komo local level government president Thomas Potape.

WALKING THE TALK -A New Year Message to Team Talita

By Sandy Talita
Festive greetings & Happy New Year, Team Talita.  
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Sandy Talita-runner up for Enga Regional post in 2012. He is a prominent businessman hails from Lower Lai in Wapenamanda Electorate, Enga Province.
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Sandy Talita

I hope this message finds you in good health. Christmas has just passed and the New Year has arrived. It’s been a while since my last official communiqué. As we begin with fresh opportunities, let’s draw inspiration to better our best, believe in our cause and carry our hopes to the finish line.

Speculations have been circulated that we withdrew our election petition case. That has been made up by actors on the other side of the political divide hoping to save their declining political image. The election petition matter is pending a decision before the Supreme Court. The court is seized of the matter and I am not at liberty to discuss; when, why, who, or what of it.

On a lighter note, did you know that today was tomorrow yesterday? How about today will be yesterday tomorrow? Look at it this way, 2016 was made in heaven while you were busy with 2015 in the same way tomorrow was preparing for another today.

Depending on how old you are, I am sure you have risen to welcome many first of Januarys. In each occasion you, like the rest of us, look forward to the future with added vigour, fresh zeal and renewed hope. Everyone will wake up tomorrow to welcome 2016. I know, some will draw resolutions. Many will stare into the abyss with uncertainty, like a new born gazes into her mother’s face for signs of love or rejection. It’s understandably harder when everything appear to run rings around our best efforts.

Accused of Witchcraft in Enga

By Luke Larry Puu
President Holy Spirit Movement Ministries Inc

To people of Enga:

Let me remind you, the natural cultures of God's chosen people Israel are 75% practiced by all the engan tribes. Because you speak the same language made possible for almost everything the same.

When the Word of God came into the shores of PNG and went into enga, The word of God was not foreign to them and enga found it not strange to adopt it, in fact enga rejoiced over it because enga has been living the live already and God's word auto...matically just fit in and there was no big deal about the issues of enga claiming the God of Israel as their God. 

Therefore God is with them in enga active and alive revealing to them with signs and wonders, and accompanied by healing and delivering, miracles are happening right here at our door steps. The point here is, we are serving a God who is Much Much bigger than any situation, circumstance, power, principalities, devil, demon,witchcraft, dead or life can prevent His demonstration of power. Engans, God is here just to do that awaiting your availability to rescue you from these bondages.

In Loving Memory of Waimin Abotan Awalii

Joe Wasia

Great leaders have lived before but without an art I could not recall any of them. I hear of stories that we had some great leaders but could not picture any of them.

But it will be different in this digital world. We can be able to keep the future generations informed of any happenings in this generation.

Here is a loving memory of one of the great leaders and an elder in a society who has nothing but love for his people since he was born into the mountain soils of the Highlands of Papua New Guinea in the late 1940s.

Waimin Abotan Awalii (pictured) a Village Court Chairman and a most humble, loving and a caring leader who hails from Waimin tribe in Wapenamanda District of Enga Province passed away in Port Moresby General Hospital on the 29th November 2015.

He died at the age of 73 leaving behind his 2 wives, 3 sons and 4 girls, entire Waimin tribe, wantoks and friends. His untimely passing has left a huge gap in the society and the family that will take many years to fill.

PNG's Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru brands Opps Leader Don Polye as ‘chronic badmouthed’ leader

Commerce & Industry Minister Richard Maru

Minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry and Yangoru Sausia MP Richard Maru has described Opposition Leader Don Polye’s comments against the LR group of companies as the act of a “desperate man’’ looking to win support for his intending candidate in Yang

He said it was a shame for Polye to ‘’badmouth’’ an investor that came into the country and completed agricultural projects which included the Koroba Agro industrial centre, 9-Mile farm and others.

Maru, in an exclusive interview with Loop PNG today, said the Opposition Leader had never delivered any agricultural projects in the country and for him to speak against such an agricultural investor was “absurd’’.

“If he has allegations against the investor, he should wait for the court proceedings to confirm whether they’re right or wrong in their dealings.

“It is irresponsible for him to brand an investor like that based on mere allegations, especially, an investor that has a good reputation in the country and is known globally,” he said.