Administrator appears in court for fraud

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
THE Koroba-Lake Kopiago district administrator Stanley Kotange appeared in the Committal Court yesterday over three fraud-related charges involving K7 million.
The amount was part of the rehabilitation education sector infrastructure (Resi) funds.
The charges are official corruption, conspiracy and dishonestly applying K7 million for his own use.
The offences were committed on Aug 3, 2009, and Dec 5, 2010, at the district office in Koroba.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar, while informing him of his charges, said Kotange was employed by the Southern Highlands provincial government as a district administrator for the Koroba-Lake Kopiago district.
The Koroba-Lake Kopiago district used to be part of the Southern Highlands administration but now comes under the new Hela province.
In his capacity as a district administrator, he was alleged to have signed cheques valued at K7 million.
Bidar told Kotange not to interfere with police witnesses.
The case has been adjourned to end of next month, to allow police to complete investigations and serve files on the concerned parties.
He is currently on police bail for K3,000.
Meanwhile, a notice from the registrar advised court users and the public that there would be no National and Supreme Court sittings yesterday and today.
This is because all judges are attending an Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and election petition workshop.