Former city MP to stand trial

By GIDEON KINDIWA
FORMER Port Moresby North-East MP Labi Amaiu has been committed to face trial in the Waigani National Court on charges of misappropriation and conspiracy to defraud.
Magistrate Cosmos Bidar found sufficient evidence against Amaiu, stating that the statutory function of the committal court was to “make ruling on the evidence as it was without it being tested”, and the evidence against Amaiu was sufficient as it is.
Amaiu was charged with seven counts of misappropriation and seven counts of conspiracy to defraud the State.
It was alleged that on Sept 15, 2017, he had conspired with a number of people to defraud the National Housing Corporation by transferring 301 titles of land at Duran Farm Housing Estate, 8-Mile, Port Moresby, to PNG Resources Corporation Limited.
The Duran Farm Housing Estate was a government-approved and funded project and allegations have held that established processes and requirements of various legislations were not complied with.
According to a police report, pieces of land at portion 528, section 110, allotments 1-64 were valued at K5,120,000 and section 169, allotment 1-30 were valued at K2,400,000. The average value of most of the pieces was K80,000. The total value of the 301 land portions would exceed K24.08 million.
Bidar stated: “There was no evidence that actual money was paid for the transfer of the titles.”
“It appears that the NHC and the Independent State of Papua New Guinea were defrauded of more than K24 million,” he said.
Bidar said the court had taken into account the evidence and considered submissions made by Amaiu’s lawyer, and the evidence as it was, was sufficient.