PNG: Transparency International welcomes Moti ruling
Updated
The Transparency International chapters in PNG and Solomon Islands have welcomed the court decision on the Moti inquiry. Chairman of Transparency International PNG, Mike Manning says if the court says so, then the recommendations of the Defence Force Board of inquiry to lay charges against the Prime Minister and others should be implemented.
Presenter: Sam Seke
Speakers: Mike Manning, Chairman Transparency Internaitonal PNG; Joses Tukanuku, Executive Officer Transparency Solomon Islands
SEKE: Mike Manning says the report should now be made public in Papua New Guinea.
He says the decision shows that the court system is working well in PNG regardless of who is involved.
MANNING: It's a very good thing that the court system is working well, that we've seen that no matter who the ... happens to be that the court matter is being judged on the basis of law rather than of influence. And TI of course upholds and supports greatly the rule of law in Papua New Guinea.
SEKE: Now that the court has ruled as such do you think the authorities should now sort of implement the recommendations of the commission, which of course would involve laying criminal charges against the Prime Minister and so on?
MANNING: I mean that's obviously a matter for the police and the Director of Public Prosecution to work out whether or not they want to lay charges. But obviously if the court decision says that charges should be laid against the Prime Minister then again, as TI we can say that the procedures should be done... and points of law should be followed.
SEKE: And following the court's decision do you think the Moti report by the PNG Commission of Inquiry should be made public now?
MANNING: Yes and I certainly do think that the report should be made public. I mean it's a really silly act by the Prime Minister because it's out on the web, everybody's reading it on the web. But much more importantly I think what the courts have done is vindicated all of those people who have asked for it to be made public. They've said there's no reason why either the Prime Minister or the other people who wish to have it suppressed had a case anymore.
SEKE: Chairman of Transparency International PNG, Mike Manning.
The Executive Officer of Transparency Solomon Islands, Joses Tuhanuku says while the PNG court decision is good, he still expects Prime Minister Sogavare to stand by his attorney general Julian Moti.
TUHANUKU: It's good news because I believe it now makes the matter clearer, it gives them a better chance to deal with the issues appropriately, because the thing is that right here even the Prime Minister here, his attorney general, they've been trying to convince people that this has been anti-Moti activities or whatever they may want to call them, but the facts that the High Court of Papua New Guinea has ruled in that way makes it much easier now to deal with the issues.
SEKE: Of course the whole matter stems from or is all about Julian Moti but he's now in Solomon Islands, and not only that he's the country's attorney general. Now do you see any direct effect it could or should have on Julian Moti?
TUHANUKU: Well the thing is that any sensible country or government, this man will have to be suspended, and the thing is that we just have to wait and see what happens. I don't expect the government here or the Prime Minister to willingly do the right thing because all that matters to him is to protect Moti at any cost. But in any normal country you cannot have an attorney general who is going to be in the situation that Moti is in in Solomon Islands.
