PNG PM says he won't step down despite court ruling

Transcript

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says he will not step down despite a court ruling which has dismissed an application for a stay on his arrest warrant.

Mr O'Neill applied to have the warrant put aside, after police issued it over the Prime Minister's alleged involvement in corrupt payments from the government to a law firm.

Justice Ere Kariko has ruled today that the court shouldn't interfere with a police investigation.

Our correspondent, Todagia Kelola, says that following the ruling, Mr O'Neill told a press conference that he wouldn't step aside as many sections of the public have called for, and that he welcomed the ruling.

TODAGIA KELOLA: The Prime Minister basically emphasised that he welcomed the court's decision, and said that the courts cannot interfere with police work. And the Prime Minister basically said if the new Police Commissioner Geoffrey Vaki requests him to go in for an interview, he will promptly go in for that interview.

JOHNNY BLADES: So in other words, it's really in the hands of the Police Commissioner?

TK: Yes.

JB: Peter O'Neill has told media a few days ago that he would be willing to go in for police questioning anyway.

TK: Yes. The former Attorney General Kerenga Kua has just released a statement on that. He also is calling on the Prime Minister to go in for the interview. He said the Prime Minister was saying before that was not minded to go in for an interview but if the national court  advised him to attend an interview then he would do so. Mr Kua said that the national court has now spoken and has given its advice to the Prime Minister that there is no basis for him to refuse to go for an interview with the police. So this means that he should go in for the interview...

JB: So at the press conference, he actually indicated he will or might?

TK: Peter O'Neill, when asked, said if the new Police Commissioner invites him to go in for an interview, he will comply and go for that interview. But he welcomed the court's decision and said the court also realised that the courts cannot interfere with the running of the police force, and that any administrative matters are for the Police Commissioner to resolve and not in the courts, and that the court does not need to endorse or tell the commissioner how he should discharge his constitutional duties and functions.

JB: And we understand that the Prime Minister's lawyer has indicated they might appeal or that there are grounds for a possible appeal on that ruling. Would you expect him to do that?

TK: Yes I spoke with the lawyer to the Prime Minister. She told me that she will file an appeal.

JB: So the fight goes on to evade any arrest basically.

TK: Yes, I don't think there will be any arrest. With the acting Commissioner being appointed as the Commissioner, he will take that as a promotion... but one effect that Mr O'Neill and Mr Vaki should realise is that this is not like a request by the police. It is a court order... a court arrest warrant that was issued by the court. So that warrant is still alive and if police don't implement that order, it might be contemptuous to the court.