BY ROMINAH FAKA
The election petition case for MP for East Choiseul Manasseh Sogavare will be heard at the High Court on Thursday this week.
In the previous hearing on September 11 lawyer for Sogavare, Jillian Soaika told Island Sun that the mention was 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, the matter was returned to the High Court Registrar for reallocation of the new judge.
The matter has now been reallocated to CJ Sir Albert Palmer.
The petitioner David Qurusu and his lawyer filed on May 29 this year six allegations of election bribery against the respondent Sogavare.
Five of the allegations are claimed to have been committed by the respondent through his purported agents, while one alleged to have been made by the Respondent himself.
On July 29 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 David Qurusu and Jillian Soaika from Rano & Company represents Sogavare.
