Complacency feels good, but it might kill you
My dismissal is far from the end of the matter

Judiciary knocks Kramer from ring – for now

Daniel and Bryan
Author and PNG Attitude contributor Daniel Kumbon with Bryan Kramer, Papua Hotel, Port Moresby, 2017

KEITH JACKSON

NOOSA – The prominent Papua New Guinea journalist Scott Waide has said “the judiciary has come back hard” on former police minister Bryan Kramer who was sacked as the Member for Madang Open in a notice signed by governor-general, Sir Bob Dadae, on Wednesday.

Kramer had faced a Leadership Tribunal after he was accused of a number of charges including one of deceiving and misleading the court by submitting fabricated documents and two of scandalising the judiciary after publishing posts on Facebook implying a conflict of interest by chief justice Sir Gibbs Salika.

Reporters Rebecca Kuku and Aileen Kwaragu of The National wrote that the governor-general had dismissed Kramer in a letter dated 24 May “in accordance with the recommendations of the Leadership Tribunal which found him guilty of misconduct in office”.

The Tribunal had recommended that Kramer be dismissed from office and fined K10,000 after he was found guilty of seven of 13 misconduct allegations.

He was dismissed on two charges of scandalising the judiciary.

The National reported that the seven counts of misconduct were in two categories.

“The first category covered his guilty verdict of scandalising the judiciary, which warranted the tribunal’s recommendation for dismissal from office.

“The second category covered five counts of misconduct relating to the decisions of the Madang district development authority board in applying for its district services improvement program fund.”

Kramer said he had expected the ruling and will appeal the verdict and penalty, a process Waide said “could take years”.

“This is not the end. I will appeal the Tribunal’s decision in the national court and supreme court,” he said.

Kramer told Radio New Zealand that the final decision in no way diminishes his resolve in the fight against corruption nor will it keep him from informing the public on issues of national importance or exposing high-level corruption.

Last night Kramer had replied, “No!”, when reporters from The National newspaper asked him if he was aware that he had been dismissed.

The prime minister James Marape said he was not aware of Kramer’s dismissal.

A spokesman for Speaker Job Pomat also said that “at this stage, the Speaker’s Office has not received the instrument dismissing Kramer”.

Before entering parliament in 2017, Kramer was a long-standing anti-corruption campaigner and a leader in the opposition movement that successfully sought Peter O’Neill’s removal as prime minister.

When prime minister James Marape appointed him police minister after the 2017 election, Kramer said he was determined to clean up PNG. At that time PNG was ranked 138th out of 175 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. It now ranks 130th of 180 countries.

Kramer wrote on Facebook when he was appointed that Marape warned the job could pose risks to his safety and warned him to take precautions.

“My response was, God will decide when it is time for me to leave this earth and if it happens in my cause to fight corruption then so be it,” wrote Kramer.

“I have no question of doubt I will eventually get killed for what I do.

“It goes without saying when you get in the way of those stealing billions in public funds, they will do whatever it takes to get rid of you.”

He was appointed justice and attorney-general minister in 2020 and labour and immigration minister in 2022.

Sources: Pacific Media Network, The National, PNG Post-Courier, The Guardian, PNG Report, Radio New Zealand Pacific

Comments

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Philip Fitzpatrick

I can remember thinking for a long time that the best position for reshaping and changing an institution was from the inside of the tent.

I used that as an excuse for remaining in the public service in South Australia for twenty years.

It was only when the culture became so unbearable that I bailed out.

Sitting on the outside trying to deal with it was an eye opener.

You are right Kindin.

Bryan Kramer is better off out of parliament.

William Dunlop

This will no doubt be most interesting to follow.
Particularly the outcome for the occupiers of glass castles.

The late author Francis Nii had great faith in Bryan Kramer's integrity, as do his supporters and the voters of Madang.

Kramer is a man of excellent repute throughout Papua New Guinea.

Lindsay F Bond

According to Bryan Kramer's own forecast, there is much more to do.

https://asiapacificreport.nz/2020/09/17/bryan-kramer-one-year-in-why-so-quiet-about-corruption-in-png

So who are the folk good and true? Let truth be heard calling out loud.

Kindin Ongugo

It is now becoming interesting.

Mr Kramer was a strong anti-corruption figure before entering parliament in 2017. By the standard of the times, he continued his fight against corruption.

He was then appointed a minister in the new Marape government after the successful 2019 vote of no confidence against Peter O'Neill. He was returned as member for Madang in last year's general election and appointed to his third ministry.

Then disaster struck and his downfall occurred.
I particularly like this from his Facebook post:

"Being a member of parliament and minister of state imposes limitations on what you can and cannot go after and now, with those limitations set aside, much can be done".

By this he has admitted with action and words that parliament is not a place for him to fight corruption.

Obviously, Mr Kramer was ineffective as an anti-corruption warrior in parliament. In parliament he could see corruption flourishing before his eyes.

He can now refocus on fighting high-level corruption effectively with the new knowledge he has gained from being part of the corrupt club in our Haus Tambaran. He will find it easier to work outside parliament.

My advice to the anti-corruption warrior is to accept the verdict and get back to doing what he is good at.

It does not make sense to try to remain in parliament where he was forced to compromise his main agenda in a pact with the devil.

Lindsay F Bond

Back lanes of parcelled delivery; procedure since sign-off - curious.

Philip Fitzpatrick

I like Bryan Kramer's defiant response on his Facebook page:

"Late Wednesday afternoon of 24 May 2023, a copy of a notice giving effect to my dismissal from office as the Member of Madang Open was circulated on social media. It was purportedly issued by the Governor General’s Office.

Given the errors on the face of the document many raised the question whether it was genuine or fake. I was also contacted by members of the media to provide a comment. However, never being informed of any notice giving effect to my dismissal, I could not confirm or deny the instrument to be genuine or not.

What I can confirm is that on the morning the notice was issued, I had filed my appeal before the National Court. My appeal is requesting the Court to firstly review the decision of the Ombudsman Commission in refusing my request to be given the evidence in my right to be heard notice. Secondly, to review decisions of the Leadership Tribunal in finding me guilty of misconduct in office and its recommendation to the GG for my dismissal from office.

The proceedings may take anywhere between six months to one year to be determined. If unsuccessful in the National Court, I still have the option to appeal the decisions before the Supreme Court. So there won’t be any by-election for Madang Open anytime soon.

As the matter is now formally before the courts, I won’t comment on the merits of my case.

The GG issuing a notice of my dismissal from office acting on the recommendation of the Leadership Tribunal is a mandatory constitutional process. In that GG cannot refuse to act on such a recommendation, however, when it acts on the recommendation is a matter for the GG. The only circumstance where the GG cannot act is where the decision of the Tribunal is appealed and a stay order is obtained from the National Court.

The issue I will comment on is whether the GG’s notice was triggered by the filing of my appeal or just a coincidence. A further issue is since when has it been the practice for the office of the GG to sign, scan and circulate notices of dismissal of a Member of Parliament?
I’m left asking the question, was the notice signed, scanned, and released at the behest of an interested party after learning I had filed my appeal?

Nonetheless, the dismissal notice by the GG does not affect my appeal.

Being dismissed from office doesn’t stop me from using the time to inquire into some unfinished matters concerning high-level corruption. Unlike in the past I’m a lot more informed on the system and those behind it. It also doesn't stop me from reporting to relevant authorities on those involved in corruption.

Being a Member of Parliament and Minister of State imposes limitations on what you can and cannot go after and now with those limitations set aside much can be done.

As far as I'm concerned being dismissed from office as a Member of Parliament is by no means the end of the matter but just the beginning of things to come."

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