4 Jul 2014

PNG police fraud squad wins injunction

7:35 pm on 4 July 2014

A district court judge in Papua New Guinea's capital has this evening dismissed an attempt by the police commissioner, Geoffrey Vaki, to set aside an arrest warrant for the prime minister, Peter O'Neill.

It is the latest development in several tumultuous weeks in PNG politics, after a now disbanded anti-corruption group, Taskforce Sweep, had sought to arrest Mr O'Neill in relation to allegedly illegal payments to a law firm.

As our correspondent in Papua New Guinea Todagia Kelola points out there was a significant development earlier today at the National Court with the police commissioner ordered not to interfere in the police fraud squad's investigations.

"Basically this morning an urgent application by the National Fraud Squad officers who are investigating the matter, including the suspended assistant commissioner, Thomas Eluh, went before Justice Ambeng Kandakasi and sought the court to injunct the police top hierarachy, especially the new police commissioner (Mr Vaki) from interfering with their investigations into the prime minister, and Justice Ambeng Kandakasi granted those injunctive orders."