By JAMES APA GUMUNO
TWO Chinese nationals who flew into Mt Hagen yesterday to bail out two of their compatriots have been detained for allegedly trying to bribe some officials.
They were spotted outside the Mt Hagen District Court and taken to the immigration office at Kagamuga where a check with the Port Moresby office found no record of them entering the country.
Both men, who are believed to be from Fujian, China, were also not able to produce a passport or visa, The National learnt.
It is understood that they had posted bail for Lin Guang and Xin Jiang Zu who have been charged with breaching immigration laws.
Earlier, Lin and Xin were granted bail of K1,000 each along with another Chinese national – Li Shan Qiang – and Filipino Aldamia Emmanuel Rabia.
The three Chinese nationals were arrested in Banz, Kudjip and Minj where they were operating lotto outlets.
Rabia was operating a trade store at Kawi village in South Waghi district.
They were picked up in a joint immigration-police operation for allegedly not having valid work permits and visas.
It was learnt that at the Kagamuga office, one of the Chinese allegedly slipped K1,000 cash into one of the officers’ pocket and told them that this was their lunch money.
The officers returned the money and took both men to the police station where they were charged under the Section 16(1)(a) of Migration Act and also for bribery.
A search revealed another K8,000 in the men’s pockets.