10-year jail term sought

THE state has submitted that a chief executive officer of an insurance company who misappropriated more than K900,000 should be jailed for seven to 10 years.
State lawyer Helen Rolakona said this during submission on sentence before acting judge Laura Wawun Kuvi at the National Court in Waigani on Tuesday.
Rolakona said the State would object to any suspension of the jail term because a large amount of money was involved and a higher degree of trust was breached.
“Robert Ralewa, 55, of Hula in Central, was a shareholder and CEO of Asia Pacific Insurance Broker Limited (APIBL), which shows that there was a high degree of trust placed on him,” Rolakona said.
She said the offence had taken place over a year, between Jan 27, 2017 and March 2, 2018.
“The series of dishonest acts happened over a long period indicates a more confirmed state of a guilty mind than an offence committed once,” she said.
Rolakona said the money Ralewa used was the company’s creditors’ money which should have been held in the trust account.
Ralewa’s lawyer Edward Sasingian argued for Ralewa to be sentenced to seven to eight years and asked the court to suspend the term entirely.
“The court can deduct the money misappropriated in this case from the money the victim (APIBL) owes Ralewa.
“APIBL director Watt Kiddie did not deny in court that there are outstanding entitlements yet to be paid to Ralewa,” Sasingian said.
He said the evidence showed that Ralewa was not paid properly in 2017.
“According to the Labour Department’s calculation, APIBL owes Ralewa more than K2.470 million.
“We submit that Ralewa’s sentence be suspended on the basis that money misappropriated can be deducted or forfeited from the money owed to him,” Sasingian said.
He added that Ralewa and his family had suffered because he was unable to secure employment due to the charge against him.
“Ralewa has also expressed his remorse and his motive for his action was to get paid for working for the company,” Sasingian said.