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Commitments made to address Compact impact, other issues

MAJURO, Marshall Islands (Yokwe, Feb. 5, 2012) – Republic of the Marshall Islands’ President Christopher J. Loeak and Minister-in-Assistance to the President Tony A. deBrum met with Senator J. Kalani English and Senator Glen Wakai prior to the meeting with Governor Neil Abercrombie at the State Capitol in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both Senators are members of committees of Hawaii State Senate with oversight for allocations of resources for public services most affected by influx of citizens of the freely associated states. President Loeak accepted on behalf of the RMI Government the offer from the State Senators to ship out a container of medical equipment and supplies as well as computers and other office equipment to the RMI at the end of the month.

At the meeting with Governor Abercrombie, President Loeak took the opportunity to thank the Governor and the people of Hawaii for their goodwill in accepting the...

After Chief Justice removal attempt, court orders rivals to appear

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 6, 2012) – The Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea has ordered most of the major players involved in the recent political crisis to appear before the bench.

The court is expected to sit on Tuesday morning.

The move comes days after Prime Minister Peter O’Neill announced the Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia was to be suspended pending an investigation into allegations he mismanaged court funds.

The court issued the order on Friday, hours after Mr. O’Neill announced his government’s second attempt to suspend Sir Salamo pending an investigation into his conduct by a tribunal of former judges.

The court responded to the suspension order by issuing a summons for Mr. O’Neill, the deputy prime minister, Belden Namah, and political rival Sir Michael Somare and his appointees to various government positions.

Sir Salamo...

Hopes police will act on violations of Leadership Code

By Royson Willie PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, Feb. 5, 2012) – The Ombudsman’s Office has confirmed that they have received a positive feedback from the Public Prosecutor’s Office who recommended the prosecution of Jay Ngwele and current Minister of Public Utilities, Harry Iauko, for breaches of the Leadership Code Act.

But they have until Thursday next week to complete this process, which leaves a short time for police to complete their investigation, which they suspended to seek legal advice.

This was revealed in a presentation made by the Ombudsman’s Office at the National Law and Justice Sector Summit that was held recently in Mele, Efate.

Speaking to Daily Post Thursday this week, an officer in the Ombudsman’s office said since the public report on the ‘Impeachment Of The Leadership Code Act by Hon. Harry Iauko and Mr. Jay Ngwele’, the Public Prosecutor has since written to the police...

Reports allege Rabaul Queen had more than 700 aboard

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Feb. 6, 2012) – More than 300 passengers were believed to have perished in the disastrous sinking of the Rabaul Queen during the early hours of Thursday last week.

And the ship is believed to have completely submerged with no sight from where it went down nine nautical miles off Finschaffen.

Reports reaching the Post- Courier have stated that the vessel was overloaded allegedly carrying more than 700 passengers on board, (400 when it left Buka, more than 100 got on in Rabaul and about 360 from Kavieng and Kimbe) not the initial 350 that had been repeatedly quoted by the media.

Chief Executive Officer of National Maritime and Safety Authority (NMSA), Captain Nurur Rahman, had indicated the ship was overloaded adding that its certificate allowed for only 310 passengers. Rabaul Shipping initially advised there were 350 passengers and 12 crew members on...