Businessman faces theft charge

A BUSINESSMAN who allegedly disappeared with K360,000 belonging to the Kagua Secondary School appeared in the Mendi District Court yesterday charged with false pretence and misappropriation.
Provincial police commander Chief Supt Sibron Papato told The National yesterday that Caleb Pande Undah, owner of Lae-based construction company Complete Project Ltd, was one of the three bidders chosen by the school board to construct four L40 houses for teachers at the total cost of K400,000.
The money was allegedly paid on May 30 last year to the company.
Papato said that on receiving the money, Undah told the board of management that he would complete the houses within eight weeks.
He said that Undah built four foundations immediately after receiving the money in June and without informing the school allegedly went away with the rest of the money and never came back.
He spent about K40,000 to build the foundations of the houses.
Papato said the foundation was left unattended for 14 months and he avoided several attempts made by the school board to get him back to build the houses.