Court to make ruling on conspiracy case

By TABITHA NERO
A FORMER bank employee is awaiting a committal court ruling on a fraud-related charge he is facing involving a K1.5 million withdrawn against the account of the Koroba-Lake Kopiago district.
Rasila Tupolam, 29, from South Fly district in Western, is alleged to have conspired with others to negotiate the fraudulent deposit of a K1.5 million cheque.
The cheque was drawn against the district treasury operating account on December 11 last year at the Bank South Pacific Port Moresby town branch.
Magistrate Cosmas Bidar said Tupolam’s lawyer had made a submission on the sufficiency of evidence on July 11 and the matter was adjourned for a ruling.
Tupolam, a former employee of Bank South Pacific, allegedly received a cheque for K1.5 million from a friend identified as O’Brian Blake as payment from the Koroba-Lake Kopiago district treasury office for the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Kopiago district drainage system.
Tupolam allegedly passed on the cheque to former colleague Benjamin Levi at Bank South Pacific to deposit.
Police allege that Levi advised another colleague to deposit the cheque.
The matter will return to court for ruling on August 16.
Tupolam’s K1000 bail was extended.
Meanwhile, Levi has been charged with conspiracy to defraud and will appear today in court.