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Clerk in dark over Yali fraud claims
CLERK of Parliament Don Pandan and his
senior staff are in the dark as to who gave the authority for loans
totalling over K50,000 to be drawn from jailed Rai Coast MP James Yali’s
savings in the Parliamentary Retirement Benefits Fund.
Mr Pandan told The National he did not authorise nor was he aware of the
loans Mr Yali claimed had been withdrawn without his authority or
knowledge.
“I am not aware of these loans. In fact, the Speaker and I had no power
or control over these funds (retirement funds).
“The fund is set up by an Act of Parliament and its affairs were run by
a secretarial and board,” Mr Pandan said.
“I do not know if the board was aware of and gave approval for these
loans or not,” he said.
The Clerk said if Mr Yali’s claim that he did not authorise the
withdrawal of these funds as loan was true, then he (Yali) should take
it up with the police or go to court.
Documents obtained by The National showed that one payment of K20,000
was drawn on May 5 last year for legal fees at the request of Madang MP
Alois Kingsley. Approval for a second payment of K5,000 was obtained on
June 18 last year by a person, who allegedly forged Yali’s signature.
An application for another K20,000 was made on July 28, while another
for K8,000 was made on Aug 27 last year.
Yali was not aware of these transactions because he was in prison,
serving a 12-year term for raping his 17-year-old sister-in-law.
He was jailed on Jan 19, last year.
He has appealed this conviction, and this appeal is pending.
Yali apparently became aware of these transactions later, and wrote to
police on April 4 and May 4 this year laying a complaint for fraud and
urging police to investigate.
Officials at the Retirement Benefits Fund, who apparently signed the
documents to authorise payments, did not return calls made by this
newspaper, while the fund manager Sir Graeme Whitchurch is reportedly
out of the country.
Deputy Police Commissioner Jeffrey Vaki has told the media that he has
directed Madang police to investigate the allegations raised by Yali.
Meanwhile, Yali, who is still getting paid as an MP, may be removed from
the parliamentary payroll.
Mr Pandan said he was seeking legal opinion whether to keep him on the
payroll, or remove him.
“At this moment, he is still being paid as an MP. The legal opinion we
got was that he had filed an appeal, which meant that his conviction was
frozen and that he was still regarded as an MP.
“The law is clear that if you are convicted of a crime and jailed for a
period of over nine months, you automatically lose your seat. I’m
seeking further advice on whether he should remain on the payroll or
not. I should make a decision next week.”
While, his conviction is “frozen”, the Electoral Commission has allowed
Yali to nominate to defend his Rai Coast seat.
 
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