Two senior police reinstated after court ruling
Two senior fraud squad members, recently sacked by the Commissioner of Police in Papua New Guinea, have their jobs back for now.
Transcript
Two senior fraud squad members, recently sacked by the Commissioner of Police in Papua New Guinea, have their jobs back for now.
On Thursday the National Court put a stay on the sackings last month of the Assistant Commissioner of Police Thomas Eluh and Chief Inspector Timothy Gitua.
The pair had been at the forefront of investigations against the prime minister Peter O'Neill which resulted in an arrest warrant being issued last year - the validity of which remains with the courts.
Thomas Eluh was at court when the judge handed down his decision.
THOMAS ELUH: He is of the view that we have an arguable case and we have a standing interest in the matter. That is why he made the decision to stay the orders by the commissioner to sack us. I am pretty happy and I know that justice will prevail in the end. I know we have a good case to argue in court and I am pretty sure that justice will eventually prevail.
BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: You mentioned the 21st of October this month, is that for a court hearing?
TE: That's right. That is for both parties to argue if the National Court should grant us leave to seek judicial review of the commissioner's decision.
BT: So does this give you a little bit of optimism that you might be treated fairly?
TE: Oh yes certainly yes. We were of the view that we had not been honestly and fairly terminated for the right reasons. I think this decision by the court gives us the opportunity to challenge the commissioner's decision for sacking us.
BT: Commissioner of Police Gari Baki has said in a statement that he will be seeking legal advice to appeal granting of this stay order, what is your reaction to that?
TE: That's his prerogative. He's entitled to whatever views he has. If he reckons that the decision was wrong or whatever it is and he is aggrieved by the decision, he has every right to go to court.
BT: Do you think there is an agenda here and he has tunnel vision?
TE: Every action that he has taken since taking up office against us, me and my team, it is quite obvious that he is doing everything in his power to destroy us and definitely indirectly destroy the investigations against the prime minister. There is no other reason.
BT: Also the National Court has reversed the travel ban on the two Australian lawyers who were seeking to prepare the case involving the prime minister, do you see that as related? Is there a correlation in the two decisions?
TE: There is no isolation in these two cases. They're more or less connected to the same subject. The uplifting of the ban on the two Australian lawyers I think is a plus to me and my team because they've been very helpful to us in representing us in all our cases up to this point.
The court also reversed a travel ban on two Australian lawyers, representing fraud squad officers seeking to prosecute the prime minister.
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