Court orders two sidelined PX staff to repay stolen money within a year

By ZEDAIAH KANAU
TWO sidelined staff of Air Niugini (ANG) who pleaded guilty to stealing more than K12,000 for their own use were given suspended sentences and ordered to pay back the sum within a year or risk serving their full sentences.
Waigani National Court Judge Teresa Berrigan yesterday jailed Delmarine Angeli, 38, from Drekikier village, Ambunti-Drekikier in East Sepik and Rosemary Batari, 30, from Pendeng village, Tewai-Siassi in Morobe, for two years each but suspended the sentences and ordered them to pay back the K4,900 and K7,654 that they respectively took.
The state prosecutor submitted for a sentence between two and four years but did not oppose a suspended sentence on the ground that the money was to be paid back to ANG.
Justice Berrigan said although the sum taken was not large compared with other cases, it was still a substantial amount.
“The court considered that Angeli was of good character, had apologised to the court, was a mother of three and pleaded guilty at an early stage,” Justice Berrigan said.
The court also considered Batari’s early guilty plea and her good character report.
Justice Berrigan imposed a term of two years each for both women but suspended it and ordered that they repay the money they took within a year.
Outside court, the duo said they accepted the court’s decision but clarified that they were not terminated but were suspended without pay, accusing their employer of breaching their human resources policy.