By GEORGINA KOREI
A LEADERSHIP tribunal looking into the 14 allegations against former Police minister Bryan Kramer was yesterday told that he had wanted former prime minister Peter O’Neill arrested, despite a court order against it.
Former police legal director Paul Puri Nii, now a Committal Court magistrate, testified as a State witness at the tribunal.
Nii said on Oct 16, 2019, Madang MP Kramer (then the police minister) went to Manning’s office before Nii was called in and introduced to Kramer.
Nii said they were discussing about some money paid by National Gaming Control Board to the Madang District Development Authority.
“They were also discussing whether or not Peter O’Neill will be arrested,” he said.
“The discussion went for about five minutes and I was instructed by Manning to go and do a file search concerning O’Neill’s case at the National Court.
“Manning instructed me to go to the Boroko Police Station since O’Neill was taken there and interrogated by police.
“I went there and was given the court order which I went through and saw that the court restrained police from arresting O’Neill.”
Public prosecutor Pondros Kaluwin asked Nii what advice did he give the police.
Nii said: “To protect the rule of law. I told them that the court order restrains the police from arresting O’Neill. But if they want to, then they have to go to the same court and file an application to stay the order and then they can proceed to have him arrested. I also told them that a court order supersedes any administrative order.”
Nii said O’Neill was not arrested and assistant police commissioner Donald Yamasombi ordered that O’Neill be released.
Nii said the following day, he heard from his colleagues that he had been sidelined by Manning because he had breached his contract through his conduct.
“There was an abuse of process with my suspension and termination (by Manning) because I refused to allow police to arrest Peter O’Neill as per the court order.”
Kramer’s lawyer Miglshi Giruakonda asked Nii if he would agree that Kramer had the right to discuss police issues with Manning.
Nii said: “Kramer has a conflict of interest as the police minister and his rights are restricted. I later learnt that Kramer is the complainant in the case against O’Neill.
“Section 197 (2) of the constitution does not allow anyone outside the police hierarchy to give orders. So Kramer had no right as the Police Minister to instruct concerning administrative matters of the police force”.
Nii said he challenged his termination by filing a judicial review at the National Court. But he was appointed to the bench and left it like that.
Kaluwin informed the tribunal that Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika, one of the State witnesses, was out town.
The tribunal will resume today.
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