KUA TESTIFIES IN COURT, ALLEGES POLITICAL PRESSURE ON JUSTICE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL SECRETARY TO PAY PARAKA LAWYERS
- Kotu Akema
- Mar 25
- 2 min read
The Pacific Guardian posting from
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Port Moresby
26th March, 2025
Former Attorney General and current Sinesine-Yongomugl Open Member, Kerenga Kua, testified in the Waigani National Court today, regarding the controversial payments made to Paraka Lawyers. Kua stated that during his tenure as Attorney General, his then-Secretary, Dr. Lawrence Kalinoe, faced immense Political pressure from the finance department, to authorize these payments.
Kua's testimony was part of the trial of Jacob Yafai, the former Acting Secretary of Finance, who is accused of authorizing fraudulent payments to Paraka Lawyers without proper approval. Kua recounted that while he was in his home district, Dr. Kalinoe contacted him about conflicting directives concerning the payment arrangements to Paul Paraka Lawyers. In response, Kua wrote to Finance Minister Marape seeking clarification but did not receive a reply.
Appointed as Minister for Justice and Attorney General on August 10, 2012, Kua played a role in Task Force Sweep, an anti-corruption initiative established following whistleblower Neville Devete's exposure of inflated payments to Paraka Lawyers. Kua testified that he was dismissed by then-Prime Minister Peter O'Neill over decisions made during the operation and was succeeded by Sir Ano Pala, who later stated that the payments to Paraka Lawyers were legal—a position Kua continues to dispute.
Kua emphasized that legal bills should undergo the Department of Justice and Attorney General's taxation process before payment. However, due to depleted court-ordered funds, payments to Paraka Lawyers were made using the Finance Department’s Reserve Trust Account. When questioned about the purpose of this account, Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika noted that Marape was unable to provide an explanation.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika questioned why appointed ministers who were aware of such payments did not report these potentially illegal transactions to the relevant authorities. He commended Mr. Devete for his courage in bringing the suspicious activities to light, stating, "This country will go down if we are not playing our roles.
The trial continues as the court examines the actions of various officials involved in the Paraka Lawyers payments scandal.
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