Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika today announced the appointment of a new Leadership Tribunal to look into allegations of misconduct in office by the member for Aitape Lumi and Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Patrick Pruaitch.
The appointment of the new tribunal follows a request by the Public Prosecutor, Pondros Kaluwin to the Chief Justice under Section 27 (2) and 27 (7) (e) of the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership.
The previous Leadership Tribunal appointed on 13th July, 2020 with Justice Nicholas Miviri as the chair has been revoked when the chair (Justice Nicholas Miviri) was disqualified from presiding over the tribunal by the Waigani National Court on grounds that he had been a prosecuting counsel in previous matters in the tribunal.
The new tribunal will be chaired by Justice Panuel Mogish and members of the tribunal include Magistrate Michael Apie’e and Nancy Lipai.
The leader of National Alliance Party will face the tribunal on allegations of misconduct in office. These allegations surfaced a decade ago and is in relation to claims of double-dipping into allowances and misappropriation of DSIP funds.
