The Ombudsman Commission received a complaint in August 2022 from the brother of a Deceased Employee of a Private Construction Company operating in PNG.
The Commission intervened immediately to resolve the issue between the Company and the Government Body authorised by an Act of Parliament to provide compensation to workers and their dependants in respect of injuries suffered by workers arising out of or in the course of their employment, and for related purposes.
As a result of the Ombudsman Commission’s intervention, the Complainant’s claim of K25, 750.00 was settled and deposited into his Bank Account on 3 February 2023.
The Complainant approached the Government Body on 10 October 2013 after his brother passed away and over 9 years did not receive any solution.
The Complainant decided to seek the assistance of the Ombudsman Commission and registered his complaint in August 2022 in the hope of resolving the long outstanding matter.
The Ombudsman Commission noted through its intervention that both the Government Body and the Company had met the requirements of the law, however, the Company’s Insurer unreasonably delayed countersigning the relevant document to settle the claim, hence the long delay.
The complaint was lodged with the Ombudsman Commission on 8 August 2022. Within 2 months of the Commission’s intervention, the Insurer credited the Government Body’s Account with K25, 750.00 in October 2022 which amount was later transferred to the Complainant’s Bank Account in February 2023. Section 218(a) of the Constitution states clearly that one of the purposes of the Ombudsman Commission is to ensure that all governmental bodies are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. The Commission’s jurisdiction extends only to Government Bodies and it is to ensure that the Government Bodies must provide services to the people so that they enjoy those rights and they are not wrongly deprived of them.
My cousin brother, was a long time public servant attached to Law & Order with the Enga Provincial Administration and served as the Deputy Chairman of Operation Mekim Save which is an Initiative of the Provincial Government to settle matters through Alternative Dispute Resolution.
This group is comprised of Village Court Magistrates, and my cousin brother late Anton Lyande is a Deputy Chairman.
Around May 2023, a faction who were not happy with the OMS court decision and chased them for some distance and assaulted my cousin and later on the 16th of October 2023, he died on a duty travel to Laiagam.
He was attacked while on duty and died while on a duty travel.
Therefore, we wish to claim against the PNG Workers Compensation for his death while on duty.