Ila’ava’s case adjourned for new charges

A magistrate yesterday adjourned a case to June 11 after he found amendments made to charges against a public servant had not beenb registered i8n court.
In the Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Mekeo Gauli adjourned Department of Agriculture and Livestock Secretary Dr Vele Ila’ava’s case accusing him of misappropriation of more than K1 million in 2012.
Magistrate Gauli said it would allow time for police to register an additional nine counts of misappropriation onto the previous nine counts of official corruption and 11 counts of abuse of office at the Committal Court registry before proceeding to review the police handout briefs.
Ila’ava’s lawyer, Serowa Abraham, told the court that the handout brief was only served yesterday morning and “I was not aware of the additional charges”.
“The previous charges where the ones we came to attend to, but they came up with new charges,” Abraham said.
Magistrate Gauli directed police prosecutor Sergeant John Wamugl to advise the investigating officers handling the case to immediately register the amended charges to allow time for Abraham to file submissions.