BY ROMINAH FAKA
THE election petition against the Member of Parliament for East Choiseul Manasseh Sogavare has been further suspended for a later date for reallocation of a new judge to preside over.
The matter was listed before court on Tuesday this week purposely to determine whether to set a hearing date for the Respondent’s application to strike out or to set directions for the respondent to file his defence.
However, Judge Augustine Sylver Aulanga returned the file to the Registrar of the High Court to be relallocated to another Judge.
The petitioner David Qurusu and his lawyer filed on May 29 this year six allegations of election bribery against Sogavare.
Five of the allegations are claimed to have been committed by the respondent through his purported agents, while one is alleged to have been made by the Respondent himself.
On July 29, 2024, the respondent through his lawyer, filed an application to strike out the petition on the basis that it is frivolous and vexatious and that the alleged grounds are insufficient to amount to election bribery.
Later on August 27 the respondent filed an amended application to strike out, adding non-compliance with court orders as an additional ground for the strike out, since court directions were not complied with the petitioner.
L&L Lawyers represents the petitioner Qurusu and Rano & Company represents respondent Sogavare.
