The Kumul Petroleum Holdings Limited (KPHL) Board today welcomed the decision of the National Court in relation to the cases that had been submitted earlier in the month by suspended KPHL managing director, Mr Wapu Sonk.
Effectively the National Court decision confirms the legal standing of the KPHL Board led by Chairman Gerea Aopi, appointed by Prime Minister James Marape as sole trustee on behalf of the State; the Board’s suspension of Managing Director Wapu Sonk and its appointment of Mr Luke Liria as Acting Managing Director.
The court judgement related to a request for a judicial review of the instrument appointing a Chairman and directors of KPHL, made by Prime Minister James Marape as the Trustee of the company, on 10 June 2025, and subsequent court actions since that time. The ruling noted, “the application for leave for judicial review is dismissed as an abuse of court process.”
Chairman Gerea Aopi said, “The Board is pleased with the ruling, and the judgement’s comprehensive analysis and consideration of all the actions taken by various interested parties over the last few months, subsequent to the issue of the appointment instrument. This demonstrates the integrity of our civil democratic processes.”
” The Board of KPHL is now free to pursue its role in overseeing the activities of this important industry entity, and in doing so we will hopefully restore public trust in its operations and pursuance of its vision to create value and opportunity from the nation’s petroleum resources for Papua New Guinea and its people.” “Whatever public perceptions or opinion may be, the KPHL Board has always abided by the rule of law, a practice we intend to continue in the coming years of our tenure; to always act in the best interests of KPHL. ” said Chairman Aopi.
“Going forward, the Board intends to follow normal good governance practice and ensure accountability for all KPHL’s actions and activities, including any changes that may be necessary in company management. This is particularly important at this present time in the lead up to the long-awaited announcement of FID for the Papua LNG Project by TotalEnergies,” concluded Mr Aopi.
