Brothers probed for sharing info

By BRADLEY MARIORI
TWO brothers are now before police in Lae after one was found to be using the information of the other to register for a National Identification Card (NID).
NID Mamose compliance officer Nicholas Wibom said the two brothers, Jonathan and Andrew Sarugam, went to the NID office after Andrew found out that younger brother Jonathan had used his information (grade 10 certificate and name) and registered for NID.
Jonathan had previously used his elder brother’s information to secure a job with RD Tuna in Madang when he registered for NID.
“We have a system in place that will detect people who are trying to use the same information to register for NID,” Wibom said.
“With the biometric system, we will know if you are trying to use the same information.”
Wibom said the two brothers, after learning of what the younger brother had done, went to the NID office in Lae to deregister Jonathan’s NID information when they were referred to the police.
He said their compliance manager in Port Moresby flew in to Lae and confiscated the NID and birth certificate that was registered by Jonathan using Andrew’s information.
Under the Civil and Identity Registration Act (amended 2004), under sect 37b subsection 6, any person who provide inaccurate or false information is guilty of an offence. The penalty is K500 or a maximum six months in prison.
Lae police are expected to lay charges today.