Forgery case adjourned

By GIDEON KINDIWA
REGISTRAR of companies and chairman of the Securities Commission of PNG Alex Tongayu has defended himself at the Waigani Committal Court after being accused of forgery and fraudulent utter.
Tongayu, 40, from Walumi Village in Lake Kopiago in Hela, was initially charged with one count of forgery and one count of fraudulent utter, and additional charges of fraudulent utter and conspiracy to defraud.
It was alleged that he forged the signature of then Minister for Trade and Commerce Richard Maru, on a National Gazette number G441 of 2017.
It was alleged that he fraudulently uttered the document and appointed himself as the registrar of companies and acting chairman of the Securities Commission by publishing the document unlawfully on June 7, 2017.
His lawyer Nelson Kopunye defended him on his initial charges, saying Tongayu had nothing to do with the charges.
“Based on a statement by government printer Christine Lenturut, the National Gazette was published based on instruments by IPA and not the defendant,” he said.
He said Maru was the main complainant in the matter, but his statement did not evidently show that Tongayu had forged his signature.
“According to Maru’s statement, the defendant’s termination in 2017 was not in relation to forgery but was based on his conduct of not providing proper advice regarding the sale of a Koitaki Plantations Limited” (a private firm in which the state had no interest).
Kopunye also submitted that Tongayu had filed a judicial review of his termination last year and the National Court declared it unlawful and ordered his reinstatement.
The case has been adjourned to May 16.