Guard charged over missing K17,600

POLICE have arrested and charged a man from Angoram in East Sepik with false pretence and money laundering involving K17,600 belonging to a firm.
Steven Wai, 54, allegedly committed the offence with several others through an illegal bank transaction that targeted corporate customers , said National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate Chief Superintendent Mathew Damaru said.
Damaru said it was alleged that the offence took place between July 1 and July 31, 2012, when Wai was employed by Parliament as a security officer.
Damaru said that at that time K353,200 was alleged to have been illegally transacted from an account that belonged to John Swire & Sons (PNG) Ltd. One of the beneficiary accounts of the transaction belonged to Wai’s workmate where K17,000 was deposited.
Damaru said Wai allegedly withdrew the funds from his workmate’s account and used it for his own benefit.
“The fraud was detected when a corporate customer cited unverified transfers from its account and sought explanation from Westpac Bank,” Damaru said.
Wai in custody and will appear before the Waigani Committal Court this week charged with one count of false pretence and two counts of money laundering.