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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Prosecutor calls for Somare to be sacked

By ABC Papua New Guinea correspondent Liam Fox


Papua New Guinea's public prosecutor has called for the prime minister to be dismissed from office after he was found guilty of official misconduct.
A leadership tribunal yesterday found Sir Michael Somare guilty of 13 counts of filing late and incomplete financial returns to PNG's Ombudsman Commission.
In his sentencing submission, prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin said politicians found guilty of similar offences in the past had not been punished with dismissal.
But he said this case is more serious because Sir Michael is the prime minister and "the higher the office, the higher the responsibility".
Sir Michael's lawyer, Ian Molloy, argued against dismissal, saying there was no dishonesty involved and his client had "an extraordinary and unblemished public record".
The tribunal said it hoped to make a decision on the 74-year-old leader's penalty this week.

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