Arthur Somare calls Peter O'Neill a "liar"

SUSPENDED Angoram MP Arthur Somare has claimed that the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is a "liar" and is referring him to the Ombudsman Commission.

 He is also referring Lawyer Philip Ame to the Law Society for perpetuating a "lie" in court.

 Somare was bemused by the allegations that he secretly met with Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia at the Ela Beach Hotel on November 4.

 “The action of Peter O’Neill is an action of a desperate man who is handing by the skin of his tooth to be in power.”

 Somare said it waas unbecoming of a leader lying in the face of the Supreme Court.

 “Politics you can play with me but do not tarnish the name of the Chief Justice," he said.

"He is too big to drag his name down.

 “This is total lie as I do not drink, play pokies or stay up late at hotels and night clubs.

 “I believe in the rule of law and I believe the court will make a decision.

 Somare said the closest meeting with the Chief Justice was at the Court house in the public gallery.

 “The three who made the allegations are liars and Peter O’Neill is a liar.”

 The National visited the Ela Beach Hotel to check on the operating hours to find that the hotel's pokies parlour closes at 10 o’clock and it does not serve late diners.

Decision tomorrow!

By JULIA DAIA BORE

THE Supreme Court ruling on the East Sepik provincial executive council special reference case on the legality of the O’Neill-Namah government has been deferred to tomorrow.

The exact timing of when it will be handed down tomorrow depends on the scheduled hearing on the contempt of court charges filed by the National and Supreme Court registrar against deputy Prime Minister Belden Namah and Attorney-General Dr Allan Marat over their sacking of the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia.

The first case to be dealt with however is the application by Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to have Sir Salamo disqualified from presiding over the East Sepik reference case because of an allegation of “bias”. 

The Supreme Court will make a ruling on that first. 

O’Neill is being represented by lawyer Philip Ame.

Ame’s submission last Friday effectively forced the postponement of the ruling by five-judge bench on the East Sepik reference. 

He based his argument are on three affidavits by two Southern Highlands men and one from Lufa who claimed they saw Sir Salamo in the company of Angoram MP Arthur Somare at the Ela Beach Hotel at 2am on Nov 4.

Because of this allegation, Ame submitted there was a possible apprehension of bias or bias.

Ame’s submission was questioned by the bench.

Sir Salamo asked what was the exact time they were seen. Ame said: “2” .

CJ: “Is that in the night or day?” Ame: “2 am”

CJ: “Where were they”? Ame: “They were coming out of the pokies”.

CJ: “Is there evidence that I was coming out of the pokies?”

It drew laughter from the court.

Justice Kirriwom asked Ame: “Do you expect the CJ to be hanging around in places such as the pokies to such a late time as that?”

He also questioned the credibility of persons who hung out at such places at such a late hour.

He was also asked if  he really thought the CJ would have chosen to be hanging out at such a late hour as that.

Lawyers representing the interveners, including the referrer, told the court O’Neill’s application should be dismissed.

Peter Kuman for Wabag MP Sam Abal requested the court to issue a warrant of arrest for the three men and that they should be charged with perjury or giving false statements in their affidavits.

Kuman also said the three should be cited for contempt of court and for Ame to be referred to the lawyers’ authorities.

Lawyer Ian Molly for the referrer told the court that the document had errors.

One was that Ame had introduced himself in court as the lawyer for O’Neill yet the filed document he was making submissions on, showed that it was for the NEC.

He also pointed out that the three male witnesses had such similar wording in their affidavit that it bought into question their statement’s credibility.

Ame said he had had typed out the three witnesses’ affidavits in November but only got instructions in the past few days to file them.

The CJ said last Friday he “is ready, willing and able to hand down his ruling on the Reference together with members of the bench”.

Kikori landowners now have business plan

By MALUM NALU

 

Kikori Oil Pipeline Landowners’ Association from Gulf province  now has a five-year plan to guide its business from 2011-2015.

Private consultant, Don Tore, handed over the plan to association chairman Bomsy Boviro in front of councilors and other village leaders during a meeting at Wellness Lodge in Port Moresby last Friday (Dec 9).

Kikori Oil Pipeline Landowners’ Association chairman Bomsy Boviro (centre) surrounded by councilors, village elders and others who attended last Friday’s meeting at Wellness Lodge.-Nationalpic by AURI EVA

“This will guide and lead you for the next five year,” Tore told the landowners after presenting the plan to Boviro.

Boviro said the association – made up of the four tribal groupings of Kibiri, Rumu, IKP and Kerewo - had been in existence for the last 10 years and this was the first time that it had a proper business plan.

It benefits from the oil pipeline between Southern Highlands and Kikori.

Landowner company, Kikori Oil Investment, has been around for the last 20 years.

“This association is comprised of the four tribes,” Boviro said.

“This association has been around since 2000.”

Boviro also announced at the meeting that the association had secured the services of Telikom to set up VSAT services in Kikori.

He said this would allow for easy mobile phone and internet services in the area.

He said the biggest beneficiaries would be school children, who would have easy access to internet.

The meeting was also attended by former Gulf provincial police commander Reuben Giusu, from Morobe province, but who will be contesting the Gulf regional seat in next year’s national elections.

Young farmer Nelson and his snake beans

By JAMES KILA of Ramu Nico

IT IS watermelon, cucumber, corn and bean flush season in many parts of the Momase and the Highlands region.

With rains currently being experienced in both regions, gardens are yielding an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

Pictured is Nelson Nungs, aged seven, from Lalok No. 4 village in Astrolabe Bay LLG, Madang province, decorating himself with snake beans. 

Seven-year-old Nelson Nungs decorates himself with snake beans in the garden at Lalok No. 4 village in Rai Coast, Madang province.-Picture by JAMES KILA

They were plentiful in his garden when this writer visited.

These snake beans, some measuring one metre, were harvested by his mother, cooked in coconut milk and neatly tied into small bundles and sold at a roadside market for 20-toea.

Nelson’s beans were cultivated in a new garden as leguminous plants to assist in the growth of rice and cocoa.

This is a form of cultivation appropriately known as inter-cropping.

Travelers along the Ramu and Highlands highways will notice beans, melons, and roasted corn selling in makeshift markets along the road side.

Hungry travelers do not waste time when they stop at these roadside markets.

Many go for roasted corn, watermelons and cucumbers.