By SHEILA LASIBORI
INVESTIGATIONS have revealed that at least
two cheque vouchers totalling K600,000 from about K3.2 million as
outstanding payment for a K7 million claim, had gone missing.
The K7 million claim is in relation to the payment made to one Nakitu
Transport Limited, lodged in 2002 over loss of business arising from the
Bougainville Crisis in 1989.
According to the record of the installment payments with the Finance
Department; the following payments were made: *K300,000 on cheque No. 710211 was paid out on
Jan 25, 2003. *Cheque No. 711710 for K159,000 was paid out
on Feb 12, 2003. *On March 20, 2003, a cheque No.715414 of
K100,000 was paid out *On April 4, 2003, a cheque No.716807 of
another K100,000 was paid; *On March 10, 2005, cheque No. 804832 for
K500,000; *May 10, 2005, cheque No.810030 for K800,000; *Cheque No. 812545 for K300,000 was paid on
June 3, 2005; *Cheque No. 812570 for K500,000 was paid also
on June 3, 2005; *Cheque No. 816745 for K200,000 was paid on
Aug 1, 2005; and, *K300,000 paid out from cheque No. 818838 on
Aug 31, 2005.
“Unfortunately there are two vouchers which are missing from the files,”
acting financial controller at the accounts payable branch of the
Finance Department Melton Bogege said yesterday.
“A voucher for cheque No. 804832 dated March 10, 2005, was collected by
(senior finance officer) Boas Hembehi and was never returned to account
section for filing as per our query register book,” he said.
“The other voucher for cheque No. 715414 for K100,000 is missing from
the files,” Mr Bogege said, adding that another cheque (No. 711710) of
K159,000 which was presented to a bank on Feb 13, 2003 was also not in
the paid cheque batch.
Assistant investigator with the inquiry Kaupa Aiwa also revealed to the
inquiry similar findings following his examination of the cash book and
the expenditure ledgers for the period starting Jan 1, 2000, to June 30,
2006, to ascertain the number of payments that were made to Nakitu
Limited.
“I have examined … and have noted that a total of 10 cheques were drawn,
which had amounted to K3,259,000,” he said, adding that from these, four
cheques were drawn in 2003, while the rest were drawn in 2005.
“The cheques for these payments were raised in the corporate entities
names of Nakitu Ltd Trading and Nakitu Ltd.”
Mr Aiwa also confirmed that some of the cheques had their vouchers
missing from the records held with the Finance Department.
