Hetinu ordered to stand trial

By KARO JESSE
THE Waigani Committal Court has found that there is sufficient evidence against the National Capital District election manager Terence Hetinu, who is charged with four counts of corruption involving K184,300 and conspiracy to defraud committed during the 2017 national elections.
Magistrate Tracy Ganaii made the ruling on Friday and ordered Hetinu to stand trial on the four charges in relation to the money and the memorandum of agreement (contract) inked by him.
“I have looked at the submissions and evidences in the police hand-up brief and am satisfied based on the sufficient evidence to commit Hetinu to stand trial,” she said.
“The circumstances, particularly, on the three charges and that of electoral commissioner Patilius Gamato’s defence against Hetinu, are sufficiently reliable.
“With statements form the officers of electoral commission, I accept that evidence showed that the money were not by commission to pay its polling officials.”
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 memorandum of agreement, which stated that he be rewarded with a security contract from the National Capital District Commission if he helped a candidate, Micheal Kandiu, to win the Port Moresby regional seat. Gamato said that he had given some money to Hetinu for polling officials’ allowances.
According to police investigations report, an officer of the Forensic Science division of Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary found that the signature on the memorandum of agreement were similar to that of other official documents which Hetinu had signed.