Deputy registrar charged with abuse of office

By VANESSA NIKEN

A MAGISTRATE has given time to police to provide more evidence of a charge of abuse of office against a senior public servant.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Paul Puri Nii on Wednesday adjourned the case of Investment Promotion Authority (IPA) officer Malis Miningi to Aug 24, after he was informed that the arresting officer Luke Upa was in Hela for the election security operations.
Magistrate Nii told defence lawyer Trevor Sause to be prepared at the next hearing.
“If I don’t see any evidence from the police, then I will proceed to hear from you,” Magistrate Nii told Sause.
Miningi, 41, from Pausa village in Wapenamanda, Enga, is IPA’s deputy registrar of companies and principal legal officer in the compliance division.
Police alleged that between Oct 26, 2011, and Jan 20, 2019, Miningi had abused his office by accepting IPA forms submitted for Palimp Ltd and other five shareholding companies without doing due diligence checks by consulting the management committee of the holding company, Moge Nambuga Milimb Investment Ltd for changes done to the shareholding companies.
Palimp Ltd is owned and operated by McQueenie Waia who took over the company as the major shareholder of the holding company.
There are 466 shareholders of the holding company in which the majority of the shareholders were not aware of changes done to their companies.
Police alleged that Miningi’s action had resulted in Waia taking over the holding company through Palimp Ltd without majority shareholders meeting resolutions.
In doing so, he had allegedly abused his position in IPA.
Miningi was later questioned, arrested and charged with one count of abuse of office.