Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa said he is disappointed and embarrassed over the way His Holiness Pope Francis was treated by Prime Minister James Marape over the last three-days during the Papal visit, and the lack of courtesy and respect shown by the Prime Minister. He said the Prime Minister continuously declares PNG as a ‘Christian country’ and prides himself on being a religious individual but he was surprised when the Pope was continuously snubbed by the PM over the weekend since the Pope’s arrival on Friday. “The Pope is the head of the Catholic church, the largest Christian church in the world and he is also a head of state. “PNG not only being a Christian country, but a country that prides itself as a ‘friend to all, enemy to none’, the PM should be according the Pope with the highest level of respect,” Tomuriesa said. The Opposition Leader pointed out that on Friday, the Prime Minister did not welcome the Pope at the airport, a tradition he had accorded to many othe...
By BEVERLY PETER and SCHOLAR KASSAS WHILE Moresby North-West MP Lohia Boe Samuel was denied bail by the National Court for murder, his co-accused and protocol officer Fabian Hera (also known as Fabian Hera Taunakekei) was freed on K5,000 bail on the same charge. And police have alleged that Samuel shot his campaign coordinator Robert Jerry, 38, following a disagreement at a dinner discussion on March 11. According to the police summary of facts tendered in court, Samuel and Fabian were having dinner in a restaurant in Waigani at about 8pm. While discussing some issues, a disagreement must have arisen and Samuel allegedly drew his licensed firearm, loaded with five rounds of ammunition, and shot Jerry on the right side of his neck under his ear. The bullet exited Jerry’s back close to the left, killing the father of seven almost instantly. Samuel allegedly put the weapon on a seat, stood up, banged the table and yelled out Fabian’s name twice saying, “Fabian why did you do that, why?” and he walked out. Fabian stood there with his hands on his head looking lost. A witness, Daniel Oaisa, who was seated close to them heard the gun shot, stood up and quickly went to pick up the pistol which was left on the seat pointing towards where Fabian was sitting. Oaisa got the pistol, walked out and cleared the weapon with one bullet in the chamber. Another witness, expatriate Lydia Kailap, who was having dinner with her family, went to try to help Jerry while calling others to help while waiting for the ambulance. Samuel allegedly walked out, got on his vehicle and drove away. The ambulance arrived and the paramedics tried to help but Jerry had died. The police CID Homicide Squad and the Forensic Science crime scene examiner then arrived. They spoke to Fabian, then went on to seize the murder weapon from Oaisa and photographed the crime scene. Samuel then returned and told the police that he went to let Prime Minister James Marape know about the shooting but the premier was out. Police obtained Samuel’s details and was advised to go home and report to the police when required. In the National Court on Friday, Samuel’s bail application was refused due to the seriousness of the charge and that his bail reasons were invalid. Samuel and Fabian were charged with one count of murder for allegedly killing Jerry on March 11 and were arrested and detained on Thursday. Judge Teresa Berrigan said whether or not Samuel shot Jerry was a trial matter but the facts alleged in this case were very serious, involving a serious assault, and the use of an offensive weapon, in a public place, in the presence of the public. “I am not persuaded that any of the matters raised by Samuel, on their own, or in combination demonstrate that his continued detention is not justified,” she said. “The facts are poorly drafted that an argument ‘must have’ taken place before the shooting whilst what obstructed the shooting is not clear. “The facts speak to a thoughtful, if perhaps Samuel unplanned shot Jerry on the vulnerable body part (neck) using his own pistol at close range, put the pistol pointing towards Hera before fleeing the scene and afterwards, cooperated with police when required to,” she said. Judge Berrigan said she considered Samuel’s application and acknowledged his stand in the community but trusted that his office would be able to make appropriate arrangements for the handover of State-funded assets to the intended recipients. “While I appreciate that this is a critical time as Samuel’s term comes to an end before the next election, that must be balanced against the seriousness of the alleged offence. “Similarly, Samuel’s detention may impact upon his family, highlighting Samuel remains innocent until proven otherwise, the courts have made it clear that the impact of detention on an applicant’s family is an unfortunate but inevitable consequence of the criminal process and not normally a matter warranting bail.” Defence lawyer Edward Sassingian applied for bail on the grounds that his family was financially relying on him and that his detention would prevent the handover of three vehicles for Gerehu police station and two ambulances for St John’s Ambulance, all bought under his district development authority.
REMNANT AJ Group Limited, one of the contactor who was engaged by the National Housing Corporation to connect the sewage system at the NHC’s new Durand Project site donated a new vehicle to NHC on Friday, 7th June, 2024. The key of the new vehicle that costed the company close to K150, 000 was presented to the NHC’s project management division who will be using the vehicle to do inspection on the Durand project site on a daily basis. NHC Acting Managing Director Abel Tol while thanking the Company Managing Director Andy Minok, he said purchasing a vehicle by the contractor and donating it to NHC was one of the requirement written on the Contract signed. Tol said this company, Remnant AJ Group Limited was awarded a K3. 2 Million worth Project and that was to fix and connect the sewage system from the MacGregor Police Barracks all the way to the main Sewer. This contract was awarded to this named company in July last year and this is one of the few contractors who were engaged by N...
MARAPE’S DECISION DEFICIENCY* Wednesday 5 June 2024 Approved for release – Recently some political commentators who blindly endorse Hon James Marape as the Prime Minister, decried the Opposition’s push for a VONC, arguing that “a change in the Prime Minister will not fix the problems the country has.” This is where they are wrong. Decisions have the power to affect people and the decisions, or indecision, of a Prime Minister, affect the nation. This is the most important leadership quality that evades Marape – the innate ability to make decisions that are in the country’s best interests. If Marape was serious about the country, he would make the following decisions to save PNG: 1) Review the national budget and cut spending, stop borrowing, and reduce taxes. 2) Give the Central Bank their independence back. 3) Stop printing money at the Central Bank. 4) Stop Connect PNG and other pork-barrel programs. 5) Give each province Block Grants and greater aut...
The parliament’s speaker Job Pomat’s decision on Wednesday has ignited a fierce debate among members, highlighting the complexities and challenges of parliamentary procedures. In a phone interview yesterday afternoon with Kalang News, Douglas Tomuriesa, the Member for Kiriwina-Goodenough, and the Opposition Leader expressed the oppositions concerns regarding the Speaker's ruling, which they argue undermines the decorum and impartiality expected of the chair. Tomuriesa emphasized the importance of maintaining respect and dignity in the House, asserting that the Speaker must embody impartiality. "The decorum of the House depends on the chair, and the respect, the dignity of the chair must always be maintained. In this case, impartiality is very important," he stated. He criticized the Speaker's approach, questioning the decision to seek court clarification after making a ruling. "It's like putting the cart before the horse. How can you make your ruling and lat...
February 1, 20 22 Main Stories Police rounding up the men and a woman at Sumomini, West Sepik. By MIRIAM ZARRIGA in Vanimo POLICE have busted an illegal cockfighting operation run by expatriates in the mountains of Vanimo-Green’s Sumomini in West Sepik on Sunday afternoon. About 30 men from Indonesia, Malaysia and China, and a woman from Indonesia, had been taking bets on the cockfights were arrested. Police Commissioner David Manning was informed of the bust by policemen in Vanimo on Sunday afternoon after they returned from the mountains. Manning told The National that the cockerels were specially bred and conditioned for increased stamina and strength to get them more aggressive. “The cockerels are injected with drugs brought in by their owners. “The birds are then fitted with razors, known as gaffs, and the ‘armed’ cockerels are then put into a ring, called cockpit, to fight until one is maimed or dead. “I have told the policemen to ensure that the expatriates are...
August 4, 2021 Sports By PARKER TAMBUA PAPUA New Guinea Orchids captain Elsie Albert has been re-signed by the St George Illawarra Dragons for the upcoming National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) season which kicks off in October. “When determining our squad for the upcoming campaign, we wanted to make sure we re-signed the right players from last season, those who wanted to don our jersey,” Dragons NRLW coach Matt Head said on the club’s website yesterday. “To have Elsie from the start of pre-season unlike last year will only benefit her and the club. “She’s a powerful player and an international who will be a huge asset to our club.” The 25-year-old, from Southern Highlands, was yesterday named alongside Teagan Berry, Jaime Chapman and Talei Holmes as Dragons recruits for the 2021 season. PNG Rugby Football League coaching director Michael Marum told The National that Albert deserved the call-up, given her 2020 form in the world’s premier women’s rugby league competition. “Elsie’s...
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment