10 Jul 2014

More court action in PNG's Paraka saga

5:52 pm on 10 July 2014

An appeal against the National Court decision to uphold a warrant of arrest issued for Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has been adjourned until July the 29th.

The warrant stemmed from a major investigation into Mr O'Neill's role in allegedly illegal state payments to a law firm, Paraka Lawyers.

The appeal had been lodged by the Finance Minister James Marape who has a legal application arguing that the payments were legal.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. Photo: RNZ

Meanwhile, the national court has extended the temporary stay order against the cabinet decision to disband Taskforce Sweep, the anti-corruption team whose investigation resulted in the Prime Minister's arrest warrant.

That matter has been adjourned until July the 16th.

Meanwhile, the attorney general Ano Pala has been summoned to court in relation to his public statement earlier this week that the Paraka payments were legal, which may be in contempt of court.