Bribery suspect out on bail

By CLIFFORD FAIPARIK
NCD and Central province police chief Awan Sete is angry that a senior Finance Department officer charged with receiving bribery was allowed bail by a junior police officer on Sunday night.
Supt Sete said only the court was allowed to set bail for such a serious offence, and he would order an investigation into this.
Finance Department official Kaen Wosae is facing three counts of fraud in relation to a payment of K122,000 he received from the Sirinum Dam Landowners Association for processing their royalties in 2006.
Wosae was arrested and charged on Sunday, and locked up in the Boroko police station.
A policeman prepared a bail receipt for him on Sunday afternoon, but detectives investigating the case warned the policeman that the official was not to be released.
Despite that warning, Wosae was released on Sunday night on K1,500 bail, angering the detectives and Mr Sete.
Wosae did not appear in court yesterday as expected, and that was because his charge papers were not registered with the District Court.
An investigator said last night that that had been done and Wosae is expected to appear before a magistrate for mention today.
He has been suspended by Finance Department Secretary Gabriel Yer, after his alleged payment came to light.