NAC director charged with official corruption

NATIONAL Airport Corporation (NAC) managing director Richard Yopo has been arrested and charged again by the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate (NFACD) in Port Moresby.
According to a press statement from director of NFACD Chief Supt Mathew Damaru, Yopo, 45, of Irelya village in Wabag, Enga, was invited to the NFACD office in Konedobu, Port Moresby, and interviewed in relation to the allegations that a NAC-purchased vehicle was claimed by Yopo by registering it under his own name and using it as a private vehicle.
It was alleged that in 2013 NAC purchased a Toyota Land Cruiser from Ela Motors at a cost of K128,580.30 for official use.
However, when the payment was receipted at Ela Motors, it was not receipted to NAC but to Ricks Hire Cars, a company owned by Yopo. Registration records of the vehicle at the Motor Vehicle Insurance Limited (MVIL) showed that the vehicle was registered under Yopo and he had been using it since 2013.
After being interviewed by fraud officers, he was arrested and charged with one count of abuse of office, one count of official corruption, one count of stealing and one count of misappropriation of a State-owned vehicle for his own use. Damaru said Yopo would be further investigated on other allegations of fraud and corruption related to the NAC.
He was detained at the Boroko police station cell before being released on a K1,000 bail.
Yopo was previously arrested and charged by NFACD with obstructing police and preventing an investigation into his office.