Fr Jan committed to stand trial

By BOURA GORUKILA
SUFFICIENT evidence was found against suspended secretary for the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (DHERST) Fr Jan Czuba to commit him to a trial for official corruption.
Fr Jan is facing nine charges levelled against him when he was the secretary.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Danny Wakikura, after considering witness statements yesterday from former employees who were terminated from the department, documentary evidence in the police hand-up brief and defence submissions, said it was not for him to decide on the credibility of all the witnesses and the evidence.
He said that would be a matter only the trial court would decide.
“The arguments by the defence were also noted, but it would be too early for me to consider dismissing or maybe striking the case out as it is,” Magistrate Wakikura said.
“But from what is before me, I note that there is sufficient evidence.
“The defendant was an employee, occupying an office, and he did acts that were following the process and procedures of law.
“Those are matters only the defendant will raise when he is in a court proper that determines the guilt; all counts of abuse of office are similar and all the evidence appear to be similar in nature.”
The matter was adjourned to today at 1.30pm.
Fr Jan, 61, of Poland, is facing charges in relation to awarding contracts outside normal public tender and procurement processes, authorising payments to several companies that he is alleged to be a director and shareholder of using DHERST funds for various services rendered to the department.
All allegations relate to a fraud investigation in which K4.2 million belonging to the department was used in 2017, 2018 and 2019 when Fr Jan was acting secretary.