Ganaii upholds Hetinu ruling

WAIGANI Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii says defence is a general denial and that it was a matter for a trial in the National Court.
Ganaii made the statement in response to NCD election manager Terence Hetinu’s section 96 statement (mitigation).
Hetinu had explained how the money came to his possession and explained that a memorandum of agreement (MoA) was forced on him and asked the court not to commit his case.
“In my view what you are raising is your defence which you can present to a judge,” she said.
Ganaii said her ruling of March 5 was intact where she found that there was sufficient evidence to commit Hetinu to trial in the National Court for corruption charges involving K184,300 and a conspiracy charge involving a MoA committed during the 2017 national election.
She ordered that Hetinu appear in the National Court for listings before a judge on May 10.
She extended his bail with the same conditions.
Hetinu was arrested and charged on June 27, 2017, after the public informed police that Hetinu, in an electoral commission vehicle, was carrying with him a substantial amount of money to be allegedly used for bribing polling officials to support a particular candidate.
When Hetinu was arrested, police found in his possession K184,300 and a MoA which stated that he be rewarded with a security contract from the National Capital District Commission if he helped a candidate, Michael Kondiu, to win the Port Moresby regional seat.