Auditor-general to face court over corruption charges

THE National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Unit has decided that the four charges laid against Auditor-General Philip Nauga proceed to court.
The Committal court on April 17 had advised police to sort out the charges before the case could proceed in court.
Nauga was charged with a count each of abuse of office, official corruption, conspiracy to defraud and misappropriation.
The amount involved was K247,500.
Police prosecutor Polon Koniu said the fraud squad decided that the same four charges stay.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Cosmas Bidar had raised his concern that the charges of abuse of office and official corruption were improper.
But he left it to the police to make the decision on the charges.
Nauga appeared for mention in court yesterday.
The court heard that the charges against Nauga, 55, from Boregaina village in Central, claims that two contracts were awarded to a company by the name of Frank Benabo and Associates to conduct an audit on Aitape’s District Improvement Services Programme funds in 2012 at a total cost of K123,750.
A similar contract was awarded for the Mendi district DSIP in 2012.
Police allege that Nauga convened a meeting to approve the tenders without a proper evaluation report from the secretariat in line with standard procedures.
The matter has been adjourned to May 21 for police to complete their file. Nauga is on bail.