Charged over gate contract

FORMER Defence secretary Trevor Meauri has been charged with misappropriating K3.6 million to upgrade the front gate of Murray Barracks in Port Moresby, a senior police official says.
National fraud and anti-corruption directorate (NFACD) director Chief Supt Mathew Damaru said Meauri, 44, from Rapa village in Kairuku, Central, allegedly wrote to L&A Construction Ltd for a quote to re-construct the guardhouse at Murray Barracks.
The company provided the costing to be K3.6 million.
In approving the contract, Meauri exceeded his powers under the Public Finance Management Act to approve the funding.
His approval ceiling was only K500,000.
Meauri is out on a K2,000 bail and is expected to appear before the Waigani District Court next week.
It was alleged that in Nov 20, 2017, Meauri wrote to the company to advise it that its offer of K3.6 million had been accepted.
Meauri entered and executed the contract with L&A Construction Ltd in excess of his financial powers.
When Meauri asked the Central Supply and Tenders Board (now National Procurement Commission) to grant approval for the special contract, the board refused to issue or approve a special contract.
Even though the request was rejected, Meauri being the Section 32 officer, made payments to the company, which exceeded K3.6 million as the work had already progressed when his request was refused.
The Defence engineering division estimated the project to be valued at only K1.8 million or half the quoted price.
A complaint was lodged with the NFACD by officers of the Department of Defence.
Meauri was interviewed by NFACD officers after which he was formally arrested and charged.