By GINNAH MINI
OPPOSITION strongman and Member for Sinasina-Yonggamugl, Kerenga Kua, has raised concerns over the referral of Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika to the National Executive Council (NEC), describing it as a “second attempt” at referral and questioning whether it complies with procedural law.
Mr Kua said the Acting Public Prosecutor had reviewed the evidence and made a professional decision to dismiss the referral against the Chief Justice based on its merits.
“In those circumstances, the question arises as to whether there is a so-called reserve power in the hands of the Ombudsman Commission to subject the Chief Justice to another process again,” Mr Kua said.
He stressed that the judiciary has played a critical role in upholding Papua New Guinea’s democracy since 1975.
“When we see the head of the judiciary being referred in a very public way for prosecution over alleged offences, it becomes a matter of concern to us- not because we disagree with the merits, but because it is going to affect the integrity of the institution,” he said.
Mr Kua added that the handling of the current matter could set a precedent for future chief justices.
“How we treat this Chief Justice now will have an impact on future chief justices and whether it will preserve their independence and division of functions,” he said.
“We need to ask whether the current Chief Justice is being treated fairly under the procedural laws of this country.”
Background
On March 9, 2026, the Ombudsman Commission referred Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika to the Office of the Public Prosecutor over allegations relating to undeclared income in his annual statements between 2017 and 2024.
The Office of the Public Prosecutor spent two months reviewing the evidence. On May 8, Acting Public Prosecutor Helen Roalakona dismissed the referral to a Leadership Tribunal.
Ms Roalakona reportedly found the evidence presented by the Ombudsman Commission to be insufficient, not credible, and lacking cogency across all 50 allegations.
However, on May 11, 2026, the Ombudsman Commission issued a media statement saying the matter had not been properly referred and subsequently referred it directly to the NEC to appoint an appropriate tribunal to hear and inquire into the matter.
Opposition leaders said they had refrained from commenting on the initial referral out of respect for the integrity of the judiciary, but were now raising concerns over the second referral to ensure there was no abuse of constitutional processes.
The Opposition also urged the Ombudsman Commission to exercise caution in handling referral procedures, noting that this is believed to be the first time in Papua New Guinea’s history that a Chief Justice has been referred twice by the Ombudsman Commission.