Chief magistrate denies knowledge of bail bid

CHIEF Magistrate Jack August has denied media reports that he had directed a District Court magistrate to hear and approve bail for National Planning and Monitoring secretary Joseph Lelang, The National reports.

Lelang had been charged with breaking and entering into his former office, an offence he allegedly committed days before he was reinstated.

On Monday, The National had reported that Lelang’s lawyer, Philemon Korowi, had turned up at the Port Moresby court house early last Friday morning to pursue a bail application for his client.

The lawyer’s action, however, was contrary to a direction by magistrate Rossie Johnson for all parties to be at the Waigani District Court.

Korowi had claimed that he was directed by the chief magistrate to appear before magistrate Josephine Niduwe in town and successfully posted a K1,000 bail for Lelang.

However, August yesterday denied giving such directions for the matter tobe heard in town.

He said the claims by Korowi “may amount to a serious professional misconduct” and he could be referred to the PNG Law Society.

In a media statement, August said he did not direct any magistrate to hear Lelang’s bail application last Friday.

He said Niduwe had just joined the Magisterial Services and “Lelang’s lawyer may have taken advantage of her recent appointment to push his own agenda”.

“The counsel for Lelang has misled the Waigani Committal Court. This is totally false and unbecoming of a member of the legal fraternity and may amount to a serious professional misconduct.”

August said he was officially on tour to Kimbe and left last Thursday. He returned to Port Moresby on Monday.

He said it was impossible for him to sanction a bail hearing as he was in Kimbe last Friday.

 

 

Landslip leaves 200 homeless

By ZACHERY PER

 

MORE than 200 families from three major clans in Yongomugl, Chimbu, have been displaced by a major landslip, The National reports.

The Gena, Kindiku and Sunagaumo clans have lost homes, coffee trees, garden produce and animals in the landslip at the Porol Mountain.

The landslip started three weeks ago about a kilometre away from the major Gera landslip that occurred in 2008 and cut the Highlands Highway off, stopping the flow of basic services into the hinterlands of the highlands region for a month.

The National visited the displaced families last weekend and saw them covered in mud as a sign of mourning for their land, homes, gardens, ceremonial grounds, cemeteries, coffee trees and livestock.

The people are living in makeshift shelters.

A local, Naire Kawagle, who was one of the first to see the landslip, said it started on June 26 and, since then, the land had been slipping continuously.

He said it had destroyed property and homes worth thousands of kina.

Ward councillor Kuike Kowane, who spoke on behalf of the affected clans, said more than 200 families were now living in makeshift shelters.

He said there had been no response from the Chimbu provincial government and politicians after they were alerted.

“Our children cannot go to school and we are missing out on this coffee season.

“Our gardens are destroyed and we are without food and are severely affected,” Kowane said.

Speaking on behalf of the women, Esther Andy said all their food gardens had been destroyed and they did not know who to turn to for help.

 “When the landslips were occurring, we ran off with our children and left our gardens, houses and properties to be destroyed,” she said.

Spokesman John Aina called on the National Disaster Centre, Chimbu provincial government and local MP Jeffery Nape to step in and help.

Opposition concerned about controversies against Abal

The opposition today expressed serious concern about the accumulating controversies against the acting prime minister Sam Abal which he seems to ignore in pursuit of the nation’s top post.

Deputy leader of opposition Sam Basil said that the people have had enough of controversies, legal blunders and ill-repute against the top post.

“They deserve a government led by a prime minister they can depend on and have confidence in,” Basil said.

“In any other country, any impropriety by a member of an acting prime minister is sufficient cause for resignation to protect the integrity of the public office.

“In PNG, we describe it as a police matter and refuse the perception that if a leader cannot manage and mentor those in his household to be good citizens, what qualification does he have to lead a nation?”

Basil, who is also Bulolo MP, slammed the latest revelations of questionable funding management in relation to the acting prime minister’s district funds.

“The integrity with which a leader handles district finances indicates his qualification to handle national finances,” he said.

“ An acting prime minister,  regardless of who is in that post and especially one who is actively pursuing a permanent election into that position of prime minister,  should be squeaky clean.

“Sacking cabinet ministers like Don Polye and William Duma because they are likely contenders for the prime minister’s post demonstrate insecurity and an unhealthy early hint on the attitude to wielding of power by Mr Abal.

“The Opposition is calling on all right-thinking MPs – in Government and in our ranks – to completely halt the Somare era and the negative leadership legacy that has tarnished our leadership quality and capability.

“Now is the time to act.

“Let’s mobilise; align aright and begin the re-alignment process of leadership before it is too late.”

 

Singapore’s off limits

Sir Michael's doctor has no practising rights in Singapore

 

By FRANK SENGE KOLMA

 

THE legal process, which began two weeks ago to determine the medical fitness of Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, has hit a snag, The National reports.

Sir Michael's long-time physician, Dr Isi Kevau, who was scheduled to fly to Singapore today, does not have jurisdiction to perform any medical examination on the ailing prime minister, a medical doctor claimed yesterday.

Specialist surgeon Dr Kristoffa Robert Ninkama said from Australia that Kevau, or any other PNG doctor, could not produce a legally binding report on the prime minister because none of them were registered on the Singapore Medical Council and, so, they have "no practising right of whatever kind at any Singaporean health facilities".

Moreover, Kevau discharged his responsibilities of care over Sir Michael when he referred him to the doctors at the Singapore hospital who accepted him.

Doctor-patient confidentiality forbid that Kevau can just charge in there and return with a report.

Ninkama said: "This effectively means he has no jurisdiction of care to Sir Michael as a doctor in Singapore other than an ongoing interest of his care as a second or third party.

"This means Kevau cannot perform a physical examination on Sir Michael while in Singapore for it will be deemed illegal.

 "He, therefore, cannot produce an independent primary medical report and make recommendations on the health status of Sir Michael from any Singaporean hospital because he ceases to exist as a doctor within Singaporean jurisdiction," Ninkama said.

"Any primary report from Kevau from Singapore would be deemed illegal and may not be legally-binding."

Kevau had himself cited jurisdictional and doctor-patient confidentiality issues when he addressed the National Executive Council last week and reported that he would not be able to produce a medical report as directed by cabinet.

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal revealed on Sunday that Kevau was due to fly to Singapore today to see the PM.

Ninkama said this must follow set processes to avoid unnecessary ethical and legal repercussions.

He suggested getting the chief physician in charge of Sir Michael in Singapore, or his delegate, to write a fully informed interim medical report and recommendations on his patient to Kevau.

"This primary report, and what is observed at ground zero in Singapore of Sir Michael's physical state of health, together with his personal and family's wishes, will form the basis for Kevau and another PNG colleague to formulate an informed and independent secondary report and recommendations for the acting PM, NEC and PNG," Ninkama said.

A medical report from two recognised medical practitioners is a requirement under section 142 of the Constitution to remove any sitting prime minister for reasons of physical or mental incapacity to carry out the duties of their office.

Census officials want pay

By ALISON ANIS

 

THE national census in the nation's capital went well yesterday despite a complaint by some officials in the two main NCD zones that they were not paid their daily K40 field allowance, The National reports.

NCD census co-ordinator Jacklyn Tarawu, however, said many of the interviewers had visited homes to obtain the information required for the census.

Tarawu admitted that there were a few logistical problems including the delay in the payment of allowances.

"Most of the officials in the NCD conducted the census yesterday but a few people refused to work because of the non-payment of allowances from the department of Finance and Treasury," Tarawu said.

She said more than 100 census supervisors and interviewers in Zone Eight, which included 8-Mile and 9-Mile, Bomana, Tete settlement, Laloki, ATS compound and Fisherman Island, refused to conduct the national survey because of the allowance problem.

Some officials confirmed with The National yesterday morning that they refused to conduct the census because there were security, logistics and allowance problems which had not been resolved.

The census team from Zone Two which covered Gerehu, Waigani, Erima, Morata, Ensisi and UPNG  made similar complaints.

According to the National Statistical Office, the funds to cover daily allowances for the census officials were being held up at the Finance office.

Tarawu said it was "beyond our control".

She said the census headquarters had been advised that the Finance Department would release the money either by the end of yesterday or today to pay the census teams.

"We have advised the census co-ordinators in each zone that they would receive their payments by tomorrow (today)," she said.

 

 

Abel: Progress made on Hela and Jiwaka

MINISTER for State Assisting the Prime Minister on Constitutional Matters Charles Abel says the Electoral Boundaries Commission review of the proposed provinces of Hela and Jiwaka is in progress, The National reports.

He said this would enable the people of Hela and Jiwaka to have a political representation after next year's general election.

"The boundaries review to address Hela and Jiwaka is in progress," he said.

"It will specifically review the open electorate boundaries within the provincial boundaries of Hela with Southern Highland and Jiwaka with Western Highlands," Abel said.

He said the Electoral Boundaries Commission would meet next Tuesday.

"Following the meeting, the commission will formulate a proposal for review and, on July 25, the proposal and maps of the two provinces will be put on public notices in the media.

"The public will have two weeks to assess the electoral boundaries' proposals and, on Aug 8, the commission will conduct a public inquiry into the new provinces," Abel said.

He said a second meeting would be held at the end of August to review the proposals.

In the first week of September, the boundaries commission would go back to Hela and Jiwaka to conduct a public inquiry.

He said on Sept 19, a third meeting to review the proposals would be held.

Electoral Boundaries Commissioner Andrew Trawen was in Kokopo yesterday and could not be reached for comments.

Any changes to electoral boundaries will require an absolute majority of parliament with two consecutive meetings held two months apart.

Abel said at the end of September, the commission would prepare the first electoral boundaries report for presentation in parliament.

He said a national boundaries review for all provinces would be conducted after the elections.

History of Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea

By LEROY BATIA

 

The dawn of the Lutheran Christian faith in Papua New Guinea came on July 12, 1886, through Johann Flierl when he sailed into the quiet beaches of Simbang in Finschhafen, Morobe province.

God instilled the courage, the wisdom, the strength, and the perseverance into the life of pioneer German missionary, Rev Johann Flierl.

Together with all the other early missionaries in the likes of Rev Karl Tremel, Rev Georg Bamler, Rev Georg Pfalzer, Rev Korad Vetter, Rev Adam Hoh, Rev Johann Ruppert, Rev Johann Decker, Rev Andreas Zwangzer, Rev Friedrich Held, Ms Frieda Goez (nurse), Rev Ernst Hansche, and Rev Christian Keysser, Rev Johann Flierl (Senior) did set foot on Simbang on July 12, 1886.

Simbang, a village at the mouth of the Bubui (Mape) River in Langemak Bay was the first site of the first mission station.

In 1890, he moved the mission station from Simbang to a nearby hill called Gaigeresa that was also known as Simbang II.

 That same year (1886), Johann Flierl was joined by Karl Tremel in and they moved into Simbang village to set up the first mission station.

In 1888, Mrs Louise A Flierl later joined her husband at Simbang, Finschhafen.

At that time it was known as German New Guinea - Kaiser-Wilhelmsland.

All the above mentioned missionaries that came to this newly-found mission field and established the mission stations also came with their spouses.

As this famous saying goes, behind a great man, there is a great woman, so in the case of these early missionaries who came to our land, their wives accompanied them and endured the life of being a missionary's wife taking very good care of their missionary husbands.

To name just a few of them,  Rev Johann Flierl (Senior) and Louise A Flierl, Rev Karl Tremel and Christine Tremel, Rev Georg Bamler and Frieda Bamler, Rev Georg Pfalzer and Mathilde, Rev. Konrad Vetter andMaria Vetter, Rev Adam Hoh and Else Hoh, Rev Johann Decker and Emilie, Rev Andreas Zwangzer and Margarete Zwangzer.

The first mission station was established in Simbang, October 8, 1886.

The first missionaries were Rev Johann Flierl (Senior), Rev Karl Tremel, Rev Georg Bamler, Rev Georg Pfalzer, and Rev Konrad Vetter.

The second mission station was established on Tami Island, November 1889.

The missionaries that were assigned to establish it were Rev Karl Tremel and Rev Georg Bamler.

The third mission station was established at Sattelberg with careful planning and proper preparations.

Toward the end of 1892, the missionaries and their families moved into the newly-established mission station.

Rev Flierl (Senior) and family, Rev Andreas Ruppert, Rev Johann Decker, Rev Andreas Zwangzer, Rev Friedrich Held, Ms Frieda Goez, (nursing sister), and Rev Ernst Hansche.

In 1899 the fourth mission station was established at Deinzerhill through the initiative of Rev Georg Bamler, at Tamigidu in the Bukawa area.

On the opposite side of the Huon Gulf, missionaries Karl Mailaender and Hermann Boettger established Malaclo mission station in 1907.

In 1907, two new mission stations were established, one at Malaclo and Sialum respectively.

After 13 long harsh years of tough missionary work in the northern coast of Morobe province of what is now known as the Finschhafen district, in 1899 the first baptism took place in Simbang.

Two local mission workers were baptised.

Kaboing was baptised with the name Tobias, and Kamunsanga was baptised with the name Silas.

These gentlemen became the first fruits of what would determine the destiny of a Christian church in this nation, Papua New Guinea.

Rev Georg Pfalzer administered their baptism at Simbang mission station.

In the next five years,  36 more people from Tami Island and from the nearby coastal villages of Simbang were added to their number.