Court fines policewoman over fraud

THE Goroka National Court has ordered a female police officer found guilty on two counts of official corruption for fraudulently obtaining money from crime suspects to repay the money and pay a K1,000 fine.
The court ordered First Constable Gipora Aho, 34, of Gorohanota village, Goroka that if she failed to follow the court order to make both payments, she would be sentenced to four years in jail.
The decision was handed down last Thursday.
Aho committed the offence on Nov 23, 2020, while on duty at the Goroka Police Station front desk when three women, Marze Soya, Aerah Auwo and Marrian Aitowe, were brought in for allegedly assaulting another women, Miriam Kitene.
Aho arrested and detained the women at the station’s cell and said they would only be released on police bail which was K2,000 for Soya as the prime instigator and K500 each for Auwo and Aitowe for a total of K3,000.
The next day, relatives brought K1,400 to the station as part of the bail, Aho received the money but did not record the incident in the Occurrence Book (OB) or produce a bail receipt.
The three women made a formal public complaint on Dec 7, 2020, and Aho was arrested and charged with two counts of official corruption.
The Goroka Committal
Court committed Aho to the National Court after finding sufficient evidence to support the charges.