False pretence case proceeds to trial

A CASE of a woman charged with false pretence, money laundering, and misappropriation has proceeded to trial despite a judge ruling a police interview defective.
Justice Teresa Berrigan, in the Waigani National Court ordered that the case of Ruth Tomande, 39, from Avatip in Ambunti, East Sepik, proceed to trial without a police record of interview as evidence after she upheld an argument by lawyer Edward Sasingian from the Public Solicitors office that Tomande was not made aware of her constitutional to remain silent before she was interviewed on May 7 last year.
Tomande, at the time of the allegation, served as a lending officer for Bank South Pacific Boroko branch in Port Moresby.
She was alleged to have laundered K368,141.64 through the bank’s lend fast money system by using customer files and information numbers that were declined to generate fake loans from 14 different declined loan applications.
Tomande’s employment was terminated on Jan 29 last year.
The court found that Tomande was also deprived of her rights to speak to a lawyer before attending the record of interview, and that she was told by the arresting officer that the interview needed to be conducted immediately causing her to voluntarily attend.
Tomande was able to provide a personal audio recording she made of her interview which she used as evidence to show she had been deprived of her rights.
The court also found that police refused to give Tomande a copy of the record of interview.