Duo plead guilty to stealing

By CLARISSA MOI
TWO men pleaded guilty to misappropriating more than K230,000 belonging to Brian Bell company in the National Court at Waigani yesterday.
Acting Judge Laura Wawun-Kuvi read the charges to Gipo Diggar of Sebe village in Western and Ian Peterso n Api of Hula in Rigo, Central, and both men admitted to the crime.
Between Aug 1, 2019, and Jan 31, 2020, in Port Moresby Diggar and Api were charged with dishonestly applying for their own use the sum of K233,245.21 which belonged to the company.
Diggar works with Brian Bell and Api is the owner of an information technology (IT) service provider, Zero Net ICT Services.
The State alleged that Diggar conspired with Api to facilitate the payments made by Brian Bell to Zero Net, for the purpose of defrauding the home goods supplier.
Zero Net was engaged to provide IT services and goods for Brian Bell whereby various amounts of money was paid to Zero Net.
However, despite paying the money to Zero Net, Brian Bell did not receive the majority of the products that they paid for.
The State alleged that Diggar and Api then dishonestly applied the money for their personal use by transferring the funds from the Zero Net’s bank account to their personal accounts.
Judge Wawun-Kuvi said the court was satisfied after going through those documents and convicted both Diggar and Api. She told Diggar and Api that the probation office would call them through their lawyer Jeffery Kolowe and information gathered would go towards assisting the court on deciding the penalty.
Kolowe asked court to grant them bail however the State objected.
Acting Judge Wawun-Kuvi used her discretion and granted bail to Diggar and Api and fixed Aug 17 for the matter to return.
She said the court allowed them bail so they could assist probation office.
Diggar and Api were told that the court would also give them time to speak at their next appearance and ordered the State to provide victim impact statements ahead of the Aug 17.