Former MP files to dismiss corruption case against him

FORMER Goroka MP Bire Kimisopa yesterday filed a motion to dismiss his case of official corruption, conspiracy and misappropriation.
The case is before the Waigani Committal Court.
The amount involved in the case is K517,000.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Joseph Sangam had earlier told the court that the case would proceed to submissions on insufficiency of evidence after police had completed and served his file (on Sept 9).
Kimisopa’s lawyer Ben Lomai had served the motion (and affidavits) to Sgt Sangam.
However, Sgt Sangam told the court to have the motion stayed until the next hearing, saying that the motion could be heard along with the submissions on evidence.
Magistrate Tracy Ganaii adjourned to Oct 29 for hearing of submissions and the motion filed to dismiss the proceedings.
Kimisopa, 57, of Kotiyufa village, Goroka, Eastern Highlands, was facing charges of official corruption, conspiracy and misappropriation allegedly committed against the Goroka district development authority (DDA).
Police alleged that between Jan 3 and April 30, 2017, Kimisopa consented with office clerk Andreas Lulu to corruptly direct and facilitate payments totalling K517,000 for Tom Monemone Consultancy Services.
It was alleged that Kimisopa, while being in office, introduced an agenda of extension of university centre at the Kabiufa Adventist Secondary in Eastern Highlands in a DDA meeting on Jan 4, 2017.
DDA members passed the resolution and allocated K500,000 for the consultant to carry out preliminary work and for project submissions.
In the meeting, Kimisopa allegedly endorsed his electoral staff Tom Monemone as the consultant for the project.
Kimisopa was alleged to have approved the project on Jan 2, 2017, before the DDA passed its resolutions for the project on Jan 4, 2017.