PNG Supreme Court denies bail for lawyer Paraka

The Papua New Guinea Supreme Court has denied bail for convicted lawyer Paul Paraka, who is serving a 20-year sentence. Paraka sought release to receive urgent medical treatment overseas, citing humanitarian grounds. The court dismissed his application, stating it was improperly filed and that it lacked necessary citations. The court noted that the power to grant early release lies with other authorities, not the court. Paraka's appeal against his sentence is still pending, while his co-accused, Jacob Yafai, is set to continue his trial on March 19.