Lawyer accused of theft to appear again in court

A LAWYER accused of misappropriating more than K300,000 of trust money belonging to landowners to prepare for a submission is to return to the Waigani Committal Court on Aug 22.
Edward Keka Komia, 36, from Koroba-Kopiago in Hela, appeared before Magistrate Ernest Wilmot yesterday to make submission on sufficiency of evidence for the charges against him. But the case was adjourned to allow time for police prosecutors to respond.
Police prosecutor Christian Iga said they needed time to prepare the response to Komia’s submission as he had just handed them a copy of his submission.
Komia was alleged to have conspired with the executive chairman of Hides Special Purpose Authority (HSPA) Lempson Mabiria Lemape by signing an alleged unsupported memorandum of agreement on July 17, last year, nominating Chesterfield Lawyers to administer landowners’ clans’ beneficiary trust funds held by HSPA trust account.
A total of K350,000 beneficiary trust fund for Pina and Koma clans of JP-Karai Block Hides PDL1 was then transferred from HSPA trust account to Chesterfield Lawyers to be distributed equally.
However, Komia, as the fund manager, was alleged to have not distributed the money equally between the clans in accordance with an agreed breakup plan that was set in place.
The money in question was said to be a security project beneficiary fund for PDL1 project area land-owning clans and not the royalty and equity money.
The money was reported to be distributed to certain clan members while others missed out.