Lawyer faces fraud charges

FORMER Young and Williams senior lawyer Gloria Salika is facing 83 fraud charges after being arrested in Port Moresby last week.
Salika, 39, of South Fly, Western, was read her charges yesterday in the Waigani Committal Court and they consisted of 26 counts of misappropriation, 27 counts of false pretence, 28 counts of money laundering and two counts of conspiracy to defraud.
Magistrate Danny Wakikura adjourned the case to Nov 9 for mention.
Salika is alleged to have been involved in the misuse of K268 million from Western People’s Dividend Trust Account.
It was alleged that on Aug 2018, she communicated with ANZ Bank employees using her work email to facilitate the transfer of K15 million from the trust account to the law firm’s trust account as legal fees.
It was also alleged that she had been paid K30,000 after the transfer and received another 25 payments between Aug 24, 2018 and Oct 30, 2020.
Salika is the sixth person who has been arrested and charged in connection with the investigation into the stealing of K268 million belonging to Community Mine Continuation Agreement communities in Western.
Salika’s K3,000 police bail was converted to court bail and extended with conditions.