The country's Opposition side has filed a Supreme Court application to question the CONNECT PNG program, a flagstone of the Marape government. Opposition Leader Douglas Tomuriesa, who filed the case, said the Alternative Government seeks the high court's interpretation over 'certain issues', specifically the laws relating to public spending, and about several millions of funds allocated to this program the last few years. "As the Leader of the Opposition, I have filed a Section 18 Supreme Court Reference seeking the Court's interpretation over certain issues with the Connect PNG Program that the government is handling," Mr. Tomuriesa explained. "We have filed a case in the Supreme Court to review how the government is handling the funds for this program." "As the Opposition, it is our job to make sure the government is following the laws of Papua New Guinea, especially when it comes to spending public money." "The main concern we have is whether the government has been properly allocating and using the funds for the Connect PNG Program." "We believe that the money, which is a significant amount, has not been transferred or used according to the legal requirements." "The funds in question include K257 million in 2021, K628 million in 2022, K785 million in 2023, and K261 million in January 2024," the Opposition Leader said. He further said, "We want to make sure that every kina of public money is spent legally and transparently (as) this is important not just for the current project but also for maintaining public trust in how the government handles finances." "Our application seeks clarity from the Supreme Court on several constitutional sections that deal with the management of public funds." "These sections are essential for ensuring that the government uses public money responsibly and is held accountable." "By filing this case, we aim to protect the interests of the people of Papua New Guinea." "We want to make sure that all government spending is done correctly and benefits everyone in the country." "The Opposition is committed to ensuring transparency, accountability, and proper use of public funds (and) we believe that this case will help clarify how public money should be managed and ensure it is used for the right purposes." This new application is scheduled for hearing on July 2nd, 2024. Meantime, Mr. Tomuriesa appeared this morning before a five-men Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika for his other Supreme Court matter where he is seeking interpretation on the laws, rules and processes relating to a vote of no-confidence motion.