Somare out of hospital

Caption: Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare with his son and Angoram MP Arthur Somare at the Raffles Hospital.-Picture courtesy of BETHA SOMARE

GRAND Chief Sir Michael Somare has checked out of Singapore's Raffles Hospital four months after he was admitted for open heart surgery, The National reports.
He was reported to have checked into an apartment in Singapore as his doctors had advised that he was not yet fit to travel back to PNG.
Sir Michael, who has been visited by a number of close friends, was served court documents in person last Friday at the Singapore Raffles Hospital in the presence of his son, Angoram MP Arthur Somare.
The service of the Supreme Court Reference, filed by the East Sepik provincial executive council, on Sir Michael was executed by Singapore-based lawyer Timothy Ng.
Sir Michael had been drawn in as a party to the court reference which sought to establish whether or not the election of Ialibu-Pangia MP Peter O'Neill as prime minister on Aug 2 was constitutional.
Sir Michael was admitted in April at Raffles where he underwent three heart surgeries.
He had been in intensive care for most of that time when his family announced to the nation that the Grand Chief would retire from active politics.
Christian congregations around the country have been praying for the devout Catholic and father-of-five ever since he was hospitalised.
During that time, he lost his position as leader of the National Alliance party and prime minister of PNG.