THE Chief Justice of Papua New Guinea, Sir Gibbs Salika, has been referred to the Acting Public Prosecutor for alleged misconduct in office. This action follows a formal referral from the Ombudsman Commission on October 3, 2023.
The referral highlights allegations that Sir Gibbs failed to comply with key provisions of the Papua New Guinea Constitution and the Organic Law on the Duties and Responsibilities of Leadership. Specifically, the allegations concern the failure to declare additional income received by both the Chief Justice and his spouse over multiple periods.
The income details in question, as outlined in the referral, include sums that were not disclosed in the annual statements required by law. The specific periods and amounts for which the Chief Justice allegedly failed to declare the source of additional income are as follows:
For the Chief Justice:
- 22 November 2017 to 21 November 2018: K104,300.00
- 22 November 2018 to 21 November 2019: K251,446.53
- 22 November 2019 to 21 November 2020: K168,923.81
- 22 November 2020 to 21 November 2021: K218,556.29
- 22 November 2021 to 21 November 2022: K215,716.36
- 22 November 2022 to 21 November 2023: K545,060.15
- 22 November 2023 to 21 November 2024: K141,978.85
For the Spouse of the Chief Justice:
- 22 November 2018 to 21 November 2019: K31,900.00
- 22 November 2019 to 21 November 2020: K47,400.00
- 22 November 2020 to 21 November 2021: K40,500.00
- 22 November 2021 to 21 November 2022: K70,678.91
- 22 November 2022 to 21 November 2023: K104,570.38
- 22 November 2023 to 21 November 2024: K171,415.64
The Acting Public Prosecutor, Helen Roalakona, has stated that she will review the case to assess whether there is sufficient, credible, and cogent evidence to request the National Executive Council (NEC) to appoint a Leadership Tribunal. This tribunal would inquire into the allegations of misconduct in office by the Chief Justice.
The Ombudsman Commission’s referral marks a significant step in ensuring accountability in leadership positions in Papua New Guinea.