Man to stand trail for defrauding state

By ADRIAN MATHIAS
A MANUS man charged with misappropriation, false pretence and conspiracy to defraud the state of K400,000 has been committed to the Waigani National Court for trial minus the conspiracy charge.
He also faces a series of similar charges relating to K6 million.
Appearing before magistrate Rosie Johnson at the Waigani Committal Court last Friday, David Pondros had his conspiracy charge relating to the K400,000 struck out because it was “defective”.
Johnson, on establishing a prima facie evidence against Pondros, told him he had a case to answer.
His charges relate to money belonging to the Ijivitari open electorate in Northern.
The amount was granted to Ijivitari under its district infrastructure improvement programme to construct jetties and wharves.Police alleged that Pondros, 47, of Timoenai village in Manus, who owns and manages David Consultants and Associates, received K400,000 from the Ijivitari open electorate to carry out a feasibility study for the construction of jetties and wharves.
Police said K400,000 was paid to him between June and December 2007 but he did not conduct any feasibility study.Pondros will appear today in the Waigani National Court for
listing. He also faces a separate charge of obtaining K6 million by false pretence for which he has been committed for trial in the National Court.
He appeared for listings in the National Court last Monday.
Pondros faces three counts of misappropriation and a count of stealing by false pretence in relation to the K6 million.He is on a K5,000 court bail.