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PNG ousted prime minister given compensation for "illegal removal": media

Xinhua, August 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

Papua New Guinea's (PNG) government has paid almost 1 million Australian dollars in compensation to the country's former prime minister for his "illegal removal from office" in 2011, Australian media reported on Wednesday.

The 972,570 Australian dollar (704,940 U.S. dollar) payment is part of an out-of-court settlement agreed to earlier in 2015, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said.

In 2011, PNG's parliament voted to remove former Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare from office while he was in Singapore for extended medical treatment and current Prime Minister Peter O' Neill was elected.

The O'Neill government drafted legislation that retrospectively authorized the decision, following a Supreme Court ruling that said the ousting of Somare was unconstitutional.

"(Somare's) claim is relative to special damages calculated by the attorney-general's office based on the Salaries and wages Remuneration Committee (SRC) Awards and other such parameters," a spokesman for Somare's office told ABC.

"The constitution allows Somare to seek redress for a series of breaches committed during the 2011 impasse as determined by the Supreme Court," the spokesman said.

The country faced police instability following the decision, with both men claiming to be the rightful prime minister, establishing rival cabinets, police commissioners and governors- general.

The situation ended with O'Neill as prime minister, partly on the argument that "parliamentary supremacy" should decide the matter.

The compensation -- not ordered by the court - was reportedly agreed to as part of a 97 million Australian dollar (70.26 million U.S. dollar) civil lawsuit filed against O'Neill and PNG in 2014.

The payment for special damages was less that the 2.3 million Australian dollars (1.67 million U.S. dollars) Somare was originally seeking, however, his office told the ABC two further claims are still pending.

The ABC reported Somare is seeking damages for mental anguish and public humiliation and exemplary damages in a separate claim.

A spokesperson for O'Neill said "Somare (and any other person) is entitled as an aggrieved party to pursue exemplary and general damages through the courts."

The compensation payment was made from a 24 million Australian dollar (17.37 million U.S. dollar) treasury fund, called the secretary's advance, which "caters for the unforeseen and urgent expenditure" and is listed in PNG's Mid Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) report.

Other payments from the fund include an office refit for the department of treasury, as well as payments for cars, funerals and to the lawyers that represent O'Neill in his many court battles.

O'Neill is currently challenging a warrant for his arrest over allegations of corruption. Endi