Judge attributes people stealing to high cost of living

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday August 08th, 2012

By PISAI GUMAR
PEOPLE steal or misappropriate huge sums of monies to help themselves or to hurt people, a National Court judge says.
Sentencing a woman and a man to community work in Madang town last Friday, Justice Catherine Davani said that it was obvious the high cost of living tempted people into stealing.
Davani said although the courts had found many people guilty of misappropriation and jailed them for it, people never learnt.
 “The high living cost these days is one obvious cause that tempts some breadwinners to resort to such means to provide enough for the family,” Davani said.
She found Elizabeth Daniels guilty of misappropriating K33,416 and Matala Sakis guilty of misappropriating K12,000 given by a relative to buy a home.
Davani said the maximum penalty for misappropriating huge sums of money was 10 years in jail.
However, a means assessment of their fortnightly wages by the probation officer, and on their own recognition, found Daniels and Sakis could repay the money.
While doing community work under the supervision of probation officials, Daniels will repay the money within three years, while Sakis has 12 months to repay.  Daniels’ K2,000 bail money was diverted for the first instalment, as was Sakis’ K500 bail.
Their community work starts next Friday and they will report quarterly to the courts, failing which they will be arrested immediately.