Court indicts lawyer over conspiracy, false pretence

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
A LAWYER charged with two counts each of conspiracy and false pretence was arraigned yesterday in the Waigani Committal Court after a motion he filed to strike out his case was rejected.
Magistrate Tracy Ganaii arraigned Gregory James Sheppard, 65, of Perth, Western Australia, on two counts of conspiracy and two counts of false pretence before adjourning the case to March 24 for submissions.
Sheppard, through lawyer Nerrie Eliakim, filed a motion to have the charges against him struck out for being defective and for want of particulars.
Eliakim had submitted that Sheppard was not provided with the particulars of the charges in order for him to prepare a defence.
Magistrate Ganaii upheld submissions by prosecutor Sgt Joseph Sangam, who said that for the purpose of reading the charges, the statement of facts and information was sufficient at this stage.
“There is no defence considered at this stage,” she said. “As to other evidence of the police file, they will become available in the process when they will be tendered to court after being served on the defendant.
“The charges are for current purposes, the matter will now proceed to the reading of the charges.”
The charges relate to alleged misappropriation of K268mil from a landowners’ trust account in Western. The trust account belongs to the 147,000-plus people of 158 villages in the Community Mine Continuation Agreement region in Western.