Court allows K130,000 case to move from Lae

Waigani Committal Court has allowed transfer of a case of a man charged with stealing K130,000 worth of properties from L&A Group of Companies in Lae.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar allowed the case to be transferred from Lae District Court to Waigani, in Port Moresby, despite the prosecution’s objection.
“It doesn’t make any difference … there won’t be any prejudice whether the case was transferred or not,” he said.
The accused, Jonathan Paul, 33, from Kompiam-Ambum in Enga, was an employee of PSG Facility Services Company, a sub-contractor to L&A, in construction of the new Central Bank building in Top Town, Lae.
On Oct 3 last year, Paul allegedly conspired with a female colleague, Roddy Kamadang, and removed six air conditioning system control boards at the top of the incomplete building without the knowledge of the authorities. Paul then sent the boards to their head office in Australia via DHL courier service from Nadzab International Airport.
It was later noticed that the boards were missing.
An investigation was carried out.
The accused was apprehended in Port Moresby and formally arrested and charged while his counterpart was still at large.
His case will proceed at Waigani Committal Court.