Ex-administrator charged with fraud

FORMER East Sepik provincial administrator Fanston Yaninen has been arrested and charged with misappropriation as investigations continue into widespread misuse of public funds totalling more than K2.1 million, dating back to 2002 throughout East Sepik province.
One more senior provincial officer is expected to be charged in the coming days as investigators concentrate their efforts on investigating; misuse and mismanagement of public funds totalling more than K2.2 million for the Murik resettlement project, allocations to Marienberg and Karawari LLGs and school subsidies for Kurumbat Community School in Angoram electorate; misuse and misappropriation of funds totalling K1.108 million to fight the cocoa pod borer disease in East Sepik province; and awarding of a contract to Baisumu Limited to renovate Wosera-Gawi distrtict treasury.
Officers from the National anti-corruption alliance (NACA), a division of the national fraud and anti-corruption squad, had been in Wewak since last week and would also investigate allegations of double-dipping of allowances and entitlements, acquiring of State assets by individuals without proper paperwork, and allegations of illegal payments of goods and services to immediate relative of senior East Sepik provincial administration staff.
Head of the investigations Chief Insp Philip Rambaliku said Yaninen, 47, of Baimuru village in Yangoru had been charged with 10 counts of misuse and misappropriation of public funds totalling K142,000.
These comprised seven counts of illegally obtaining vehicle allowances totalling K92,801.33 and three counts of illegally obtaining housing advances totalling K50,000.
This happened between 2002 and 2004 when Yanin was the provincial administrator.
Chief Insp Rambaliku said investigations into the books of accounts with the East Sepik provincial treasury office and human resource division and other relevant agencies had uncovered sufficient evidence of misuse, misappropriation and mismanagement of public funds belonging to the East Sepik provincial government and provincial administration.