Three to stand trial for fraud charges

By DAPHNE WANI
A FORMER director of the National Library and Archives plus two others will stand trial in the National Court on fraud-related charges involving more than K100,000.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate John Kaumi committed Jacob Hevelawa, his wife Miriam Hevelawa and Timothy Numara to stand trial on charges of official corruption, abuse of office, conspiracy and dishonestly application.
Their cases have been adjourned to October 28 to give them time to prepare with their lawyers their statements in response to the court’s ruling that it has found sufficient evidence against them to go to trial.
Numara is the former corporate service manager of the National Library and Archives.
The three were charged in January this year with one count each of abuse of office, dishonestly applying K118,846.30 and conspiracy to defraud the State of the said amount.
It is alleged that they awarded a contract for grass-cutting, landscaping and rubbish removal to Paja Sisters Limited, a company owned by Miriam Hevelawa.
The project was allegedly paid in three instalments K118,846.30, which was claimed failed to match the work done.