Morobe Governor Rainbo Paita wants his case against the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to be heard again in the National Court, despite the case being heard already and a decision pending.
Paita’s lawyer told the court before another judge yesterday that the matter seeking to stop (ICAC) from arresting Paita should be heard for a second time.
He argued that the reason for the case to be reheard again was because there were new developments after the Supreme Court recently dismissed the appeal by former Lagaip MP Amos Akem.
This affected some grounds raised in Paita’s initial application in the case against ICAC, which a decision is pending.
However, since the original the term of the first judge that heard the case had expired and the decision before that judge is pending, Paita asked the court to forgo that decision and have the case heard again before another judge because of the “change of circumstances”.
The court reserved it’s ruling on that proposition to April 16, when the court would decide on whether to have the case reheard or proceed with handing down the pending decision of the previous judge.
Paita initially went to court to stop ICAC from arresting him pertaining to an earlier election petition decision in the Lagaip Open seat that found Paita’s involvement in alleged bribe and undue influences in the 2023 supplementary election for the Lagaip Open seat.
This prompted the ICAC to carry out an investigation into Paita’s conduct based on the court’s findings.