Firm’s boss faces theft charges

THE chairman of a shipping company has been charged with the misappropriation of property, stealing and uttering false documents.
The Task Force Sweep arrested Camilus Tati, of central inland Pomio, East New Britain, for allegedly signing documents to transfer a vessel brought by the state to his own company.
Task Force Sweep chairman Sam Koim alleged that Tati, as chairman of Tol Coastal Shipping Services Ltd (TCSS), had altered the ownership of the mv Warakalap in 2010 from Sarakolok West Transport Ltd (SWT) to his company.
The latter is owned by Ere­mas Wartoto, the businessman  implicated in the misappropriation of the K10 million rehabilitation of educational infrastructure funds meant for Kerevat National High School.
SWT was reportedly contracted by the state to deliver the vessel to the people of Kokopo.
Koim alleged that TCSS was a company controlled by Wartoto and Tim Rowland.
Koim said the vessel was paid for by the government for the people of Kokopo under its coastal vessels programme.
He said the vessel was acquired with funds from the Department of National Planning and Monitoring.
“It is one of vessels that the government had bought as part of the programme and procured through SWT, acting as a ship’s broker. At some point in the delivery of the vessel to Kokopo, the ownership of the vessel was converted to SWT and then onto TCSS,” Koim said.
He said the K4.8 million vessel was absorbed into the TCSS fleet of vessels and used for commercial purposes without the knowledge of the people of Kokopo.
Koim said Tati was allowed bail by the police.