Court adjourns cases to allow for police investigation

By BOURA GORUKILA
THE cases of two senior police officers were adjourned for another month to allow police to carry out investigations and produce a hand-up brief.
Magistrate Tracy Ganaii, at the Waigani Committal Court on Friday, adjourned the cases of dismissed Asst police commissioner (human resource) Sylvester Kalaut and former director of human resource Bob Visikela Kerry to July 27 for further mention.
Kalaut 44, of Walis Island in Wewak, East Sepik, is facing two counts each of dishonestly applying, conspiring to defraud and one count of abuse of office.
He was also facing another charge of abuse of office and attempt to pervert the course of justice in another matter.
Co-accused Kerry, 56, of Wingei No Two, Yangoru-Saussia, East Sepik, was charged with two counts each of dishonestly applying, conspiring to defraud and one count of abuse of office.
Kalaut and Kerry were alleged to have colluded and signed cheques valued at over K900,000 belonging to pensioners and kept in the police pension suspense account (PPSA) for their own use. They were both alleged to have committed the offence between Dec 21, 2018, and Oct 25, 2019, at police headquarters. Police said both men knew that money held with the PPSA belonged to pensioners with personal account issues. The police brief stated that on Oct 29, 2018, Kalaut wrote to Bank South Pacific requesting a change in signatories to the PPSA and it was approved.