CEO facing 3 charges

NATIONAL Gaming Control Board (NGCB) chief executive officer Imelda Agon charged with conspiracy, misappropriation and abuse of office involving K900,000 made her first court appearance in the Waigani Committal Court yesterday.
She was reading the charges by Magistrate Paul Nii before he granted her a K5,000 bail and adjourned the hearing to Oct 11 to allow police to complete investigations. Agon, 49, of Lafu village in Kavieng, New Ireland, is alleged to have between Nov 15 and Dec 30, 2012, conspired with former Madang MP Nixon Duban and others to defraud K900,000 for Yagaum Rural Hospital infrastructure renovation and improvement project that was kept in the Madang District Treasury operating account.
She was also alleged to have dishonestly applied the K900,000 belonging to the State to the use of Duban and others.
Police also alleged that Agon abused her authority as the chief executive officer of NGCB by facilitating K900,000 for the hospital’s infrastructure renovation and improvement project, prejudicial to the lawful rights of the state.
According to police statement, a project submission for the hospital was made to NGCB in 2011, valued at K1.2 million.
The NGCB paid an initial K300,000 to the hospital’s bank account on May 2, 2012, from which the hospital management bought an X-Ray machine and an ultra-sound scanner.
But Agon allegedly prevented the transfer of the remaining balance of K900,000 to the hospital’s account.