PNG Judge Refuses to Suppress Moti Inquiry Report

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea - Last week, Prime Minister Michael Somare and three others failed in their application to suppress the Moti Inquiry Report in the judicial review of the army inquiry.  The others involved in the suppression attempt are former chief secretary to the government Joshua Kalinoe, Colonel Vagi Oala, and Captian Tom Ur.

National Court judge Bernard Sakora held that Somare had not properly joined the proceedings and further, that the application for judicial review of the cabinet-approved army inquiry was an abuse of the court process.  The case was dismissed with cost to the applicants.  Somare will appeal the decision.

Sakora had choice words for Somare and the other applicants, saying of the suppression attempts,"I don't think you can describe it in any other word except protecting huge egos ... and I have it in my judgement ... huge egos of Olympic proportions."  Sakora also drew parallels between Somare's involvement in the Moti affair and the United States Watergate scandal in the 1970s.  He also said that Somare was "misled and ill-advised by his minders and lawyers" during the court proceedings.

Somare's lawyers threatened the media and the PNG populace with contempt of court charges if the inquiry report were leaked during the proceedings, though that did not stop the report from being leaked and published on the internet.

Since the court handed down its decision, there was more pressure on Somare to produce a copy of the inquiry report, especially from the PNG parliament.  Other interested parties include Australia, Transparency International, and the Opposition coalition in the Solomon Islands government.  Somare has said that he had good reasons for not producing it before the National Court, despite the court's statements on the matter.

With the release of the report, the Opposition has called for Somare to step down as Prime Minister, telling reporters at a press conference on Monday, "That, he owes to the nation, to the people and to himself as the founding father of this nation."

For more information, please see:

Pacific Magazine - Attempts to Suppress Moti Report Result of Huge Egos Says Judge - 13 September 2007

Radio New Zealand International - Renewed pressure on PNG PM to table Moti report - 13 September 2007

Radio New Zealand International - PNG PM to appeal National Court rejection - 13 September 2007

PNG Post-Courier - Report gag bid to protect egos: Judge - 13 September 2007

PNG Post-Courier - Charge Somare - 13 September 2007  [on the inquiry report contents]

The Australian - Somare likely to fight release of Moti report - 14 September 2007

PNG Post-Courier - Step aside Chief! - 14 September 2007

Pacific Magazine (PNG Post-Courier) - Calls for Sir Michael to Step Aside - 17 September 2007

Solomon Star - Fono vows to expose Moti escape report - 17 September 2007

Pacific Magazine - TI Appeals for Moti Report Formal Release - 18 September 2007

Pacific Islands Report has a leaked copy of the Moti Inquiry report here.  (PDF format)