Former hospital chief jailed

FORMER chief executive officer of the Modilon Hospital Dr Jethro Usurup has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by the National Court in Madang.
The sentence was handed down yesterday by visiting National Court judge, Justice David Cannings, after the court found him guilty in January of contempt charges.
The court heard that Dr Usurup failed to comply with the orders that the National Court issued in the case that the hospital had filed against Sr Dianne Liriope, Sr Elizabeth Wukawa and 140 other nurses.
The case arose following the nationwide nurses strike in 2006 that saw members of the PNG Nurses Association Madang branch also participate and was headed by Sr Liriope, who was then president and her deputy Sr Wukawa.
Among the orders the National Court issued in relation to the matter was that no disciplinary actions be taken against any of those involved in the strike.
However, the court heard that Dr Usurup disobeyed these orders in September 2007 when he laid two disciplinary charges against Sr Liriope and dismissed her from the public service in October 2007. He did this while the court orders were still current and did not seek leave from the court.
Sr Liriope then began contempt of court proceedings against Dr Usurup and seven others, including the hospitals board chairman and its lawyer. The others were found not guilty while Dr Usurup was convicted.
Justice Cannings said the orders of November 20, 2006 were clear and unambiguous and that the former CEO had wilfully disobeyed them.
He said he had considered the aggravating and mitigating factors including that Dr Usurup had cooperated with the court in the resolution of the contempt charge and with the conditions of his bail, had no prior convictions, had an exemplary record of service to the public health system and to the medical profession and was presently engaged in a number of important community health programs.
Justice Cannings said he had considered imposing a fine but had come to a conclusion that a fine, even a very substantial one, would not sufficiently reflect the seriousness of the matter, this being disobedience for a long period of an order of the National Court.
He said imprisonment was necessary to drive home the message of the seriousness of the offence.
The message needs to be driven home that contempt of court is an extremely serious matter and that no one is above the law. That message is best conveyed by requiring the contemnor to spend his time in custody.
None of the punishment will be suspended, he said.
Justice Cannings said if Dr Urusup was still CEO of the hospital, he would have suspended his prison term on the condition he reinstate Sr Liriope.

OK - so emi bin brukim lo. So what about the other big shots who continually thumb their collective noses at the laws and people of PNG. When will they get their 6 month 9if not more) sentence?

I guess the notorious greedy thieves of the House Tambaran are immune to the law of the nation thats why they cant face justice because corruption has branched out to all levels. We cant win if we tried. Sori oh!!

These arse-holes in the haus tambaran are viruses without cure...same as HIV/AIDS

Fuk dem ol

Ol Politicians na CEO, they run government departments and organisations like their private tuckershops. We need Judges like Canning who jails the bastards.

DIG DEEPER AND YOU WILL SEE THAT DR USURUP HAS A LONG HISTORY OF CORRUPT DEALINGS FROM CURRENT HOSPITALS IN MOROBE MADANG AND NEW IRELAND.HE TOUCHES YOUNG NURSES AND HAS NEVER BEEN CHARGED.ASKS HIS OWN STAFF AT HIS OWN HOME TOWN IN KAVIENG.THIS MAN IS A SEXUAL PREDATOR.HE ALSO SUCK UP POLLIES AND BEFRIENDS THEM FOR PROMOTION.IN KAVIENG HE WAS A FORMER GOVERNORS BEST DRINKING MATE.REMEMBER PAUL TOHIAN.HE'S 6 FT UNDER NOW BUT HE WOULD TELL YOU SOME STORIES.THE FACT USURUP HASNT BEEN JAILED EARLIER IS AMAZING.ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT HE IS JAILED FOR ONLY SOME OF THE RIGHT REASONS.WE HEAR SIR CHAN FROM KAVIENG WANTS HIM BACK IN NEW IRELAND.I SAY SEND HIM BACK TO HIS OWN PLACE WITH ALL THE OTHER CORRUPT LEADERS THERE WHO HANG OUT TOGETHER.

USURUP IS A CHAN CRONY WHO STOLE FROM THE PUBLIC PURSE HERE IN KAVIENG HOSPITAL.WE DONT WANT THIS DEVIL LAVONGAI BACK HOME PLEASE.SEND HIM BACK TO NEW HANOVER BECOS ALL NURSES HERE ARE SO SCARED OF HIM WITH HIS NEW CAMERA.