The findings of the Commission of Inquiry into the Finance Department which uncovered the theft of over K730 million from the public purse by prominent lawyers and public servants, look set to continue to gather dust because of the suspicious failure of the government to reappoint judge Mark Sevua.
The Commission of Inquiry findings, which were presented in Parliament in April last year, are the subject of a court injunction taken out by lawyer Paul Paraka and former Solicitor General Zacchary Gelu which prevents the findings been published and police investigations against those implicated in the thefts.
In June 2010 an application was made in the National Court before Justice Sevua to have the injunction lifted, but no decision has ever been given and the judge now says he had been about to finalise his decision when he was discontinued from holding office as a judge when he reached the statutory retirement age of 60.
Justice Sevua had applied to extend his service for another five years but his application was rejected in September, without reasons, by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission which was chaired by then Attorney General, National Alliance party member and MP for Rigo, Ano Pala.
The decision not to extend Sevua's term flies in the face of the desperate need for experienced judges in PNG and the extensive backlog of legal cases including those concerning misconduct in office charges against the Prime Minister and his son.
With no explanation from the government about why it failed to extend Sevua's contract it looks like the Prime Minister and the national Alliance party have scored another victory for corruption.
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