07/01/2026
SUPREME COURT SLAMS PAUL PARAKA’S LATEST ATTEMPT TO REVIVE FAILED APPEAL
By The Political Columnist
January 7, 2026
The Supreme Court has dismissed lawyer Paul Paraka’s attempt to reopen his failed appeal against his 2023 misappropriation conviction, ruling that his application under the “slip rule” was an abuse of process and had no chance of success.
Paraka was convicted in May 2023 on five counts involving over K162 million in misappropriated state funds and sentenced to 20 years in prison. The payments, made through the Department of Finance between 2007 and 2011, were diverted via law firms and companies linked to him.
He initially appealed, but in October 2024, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal. In November 2025, Paraka sought leave to file a slip rule application, alleging 38 errors in the Court’s 2024 judgment, later reducing them to nine “glaring mistakes.”
Justice David Cannings, delivering the judgment, emphasised that the slip rule is meant to correct obvious errors in the Court’s own decisions—not to provide a second appeal or allow new arguments. A three-judge bench reviewed Paraka’s claims, which included allegations of a defective indictment, unlawful evidence, and a “fabricated” bank transaction table.
The Court ruled that all points had been previously argued and rejected, and some were new arguments that should have been raised earlier. Justice Cannings said: “The appellant has not raised any arguable case of error on the part of the Supreme Court… This is a veiled attempt to re-argue the appeal. This is not permissible.”
The Supreme Court confirmed that the 2024 dismissal of Paraka’s appeal stands, his 2023 conviction remains final, and there is no further avenue for him to challenge the decision through the slip rule.
-ENDS-
