By Vasinatta Yama – EM TV News, Port Moresby
Member for North Fly, Boka Kondra, remains suspended from office, pending his appeal at the Supreme Court for a Judicial Review into two National Court decisions, which found him guilty of misconduct in office.
A three-man Supreme Court bench made this ruling today, on Kondra’s stay application regarding the court’s determinations.
The Supreme Court reiterated their concerns as to why Governor General, Sir Michael Ogio, did not execute the tribunal’s recommendation to have Kondra dismissed from office.
The court ruled that despite the granting of the stay application, Kondra’s suspension would remain until the Governor General acts on the recommendation to dismiss Kondra from office.
Presiding judges Justices George Manuhu, Allan David and Hitelai Kiele-Polume ruled that the Governor General is the person required to act on the recommendation, and the court was seriously concerned why he never executed it.
The court also queried if the Governor General had received the recommendation or not.
A Leadership Tribunal gave the recommendation on October 27, 2014, after the National Court had found Kondra guilty of six allegations of misconduct in office.
On July 14, 2015, the National Court stayed the tribunal’s decision pending the determination of a Judicial Review proceeding.
However, on March 1, 2016, the National Court dismissed Kondra’s application for a Judicial Review.
Kondra’s stay application today was in conjunction with his appeal at the Supreme Court for the higher court to determine whether or not there will be a Judicial Review into the tribunal’s decision.
