NHC boss faces fraud charges

The National Main Stories

By BOURA GORUKILA
NATIONAL Housing Corporation (NHC) acting managing director Elizabeth Bowada appeared in court yesterday facing fraud-related charges.
Bowada, 41, of Okaikado village in Losuia, Milne Bay, is charged with a count each of misappropriation, false pretence and abuse of office.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii read her charges and adjourned the case to Aug 28.
She also converted her police bail of K1,500 to district court bail and ordered that she should not interfere with state witnesses, not leave the National Capital District without the leave of court, attend court when her case was called and remain at her known address which she was make known to the court registry.
Bowada was alleged to have between April 24, 2018 and Jan 15, 2020, dishonestly applied to her own use K118,486.01 belonging to NHC.
She was also alleged to have between the same dates pretended to have been reinstated by the National and Supreme Courts and with intent to defraud, obtained from NHC seven Bank South Pacific (BSP) cheques totalling K19,000 and other payments totalling K99,468.01 and paid herself for loss of salaries.
It was again alleged that on the same dates, Bowada being employed in the public service by NHC as a senior legal officer, enabled herself remuneration claimed to be payable to herself by lodging a false claim of K156,983.67 for loss of salaries.
She was alleged to have being terminated by NHC on Sept 13, 2012 for illegally facilitating the sale of two NHC prime properties (section 24, allotment 17, Angau Drive, Boroko and section 77, allotment 22, Kaia Street, Korobosea) in Port Moresby.
She was aggrieved by the decision to terminate her and instituted a string of court proceedings but was never reinstated nor her salaries backdated.
She allegedly used the strength of a clearance letter dated Jan 10, 2018 from the National Fraud and Anti-Corruption Directorate but without court orders confirming her being officially cleared, falsely sought reinstatement of her employment.
She presented the letter to NHC and allegedly misled them that she was cleared and was reinstated to her substantive position.
That was when she lodged false claims of K156,983.67 for loss of salaries knowing that she was never reinstated and ordered for any salaries to be backdated and received payments of seven cheques and other payments totalling K118,468.01 which she allegedly applied to her own use.
The NHC board secretary lodged a complaint to the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Boroko and an investigation was conducted.
Bowada was invited to the fraud office for a record of interview, was arrested, charged and released on bail.
Her bail was extended.

21 comments

  • That is a lot of official abuse which must not go unpunished. Its the greedy who are mostly lured by the prospects of financial gain. A pick pocket may steal for their basic survival and receives with some cuts and bruisers, the blunt force of the law. A lot more paper-pushing thugs get away with stealing heaps of money. Good job to those that are helping to weed out corruption from our institutions.

  • While our good womenfolk in PNG are fighting so hard against GBV and FSV cases and Gender Equality, yet some hooligans like this freaky thief are destroying women status and legacy.

    • Plesman, trupla tok. Nowadays some womenfolk are easily used by those in the know to facilitate corruption thereby disreputing every women, including those few who truly deserve some honor.

  • With you plesman, why protect women against violence the proposal of giving them the opportunity to be elected into Parliament when they themselves have male habits. Are we encouraging them to be robbers,corrupt leaders or should we assist them become better PNG women folk.
    Sad other good & innocent women of this country be shameful because of these greedy/selfish women like Elizabeth, maybe she should go back to her village & run a trade store to at least survive & live an honest living.

  • She was terminated in 2012 and how did this idiot got reinstated,..? She should not be in the NHC MD office at all! Christs sake…just spoiling the good women folk name!

  • She gained enough to live through life. Blackmail her and she should not be reemployed by the public service again or even practice her law degree anywhere in PNG. Shame on her. Try to live within your own means in a honest way. Why steal so much money through fraud? This lady definitely has no morals.

  • PNG people have housing problem and don’t deserve thief to play around with our tax money, when are we going to make a change to help the tax payers, we need God fearing man to be in that seat.

  • Tarnished the names of other well educated Trobriands holding higher offices in the country. Corrupt and self centered human being. What are shame!!

  • Send her to Bomana, there’s no difference in the crime of stealing, a steal is a steal.
    Is that what she’s got to show for? being a legal officer, just to defraud and steal from the very organization that employed you and in doing so bringing the reputation of NHC in question, the public already have had enough of corrupt dealings involving NHC. Goodness sake, Enough is enough.

  • WORKS AGAINST WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AGENDA in PNG.

    AYA, mi ting ol man tasol save mekim kain pasin tasol, meri tu ya…..plis plis.

    Add color (whati kala) to Bomana

  • This shows corruption has no boundaries, when greed and self-interest sets-in, a person (meri/man/Christian/non-Christian) will go to all lengths to feed their craving/lust ego.

  • All this allegations are all TRUE.
    Because of this lady, she ran NHC down.

    Prosecute her…

  • Yeah she has being fiddling around with our clients Portion of land out at 8mile ( Buai Market ) working in hand with NCD ( Bernard Kipit) for development in which our client is the Legitimate owner and has Land title.

  • That’s the tip of the iceberg. More investigations need to be carried out at NHC and related agencies. Keep digging deep. It’s a gold mine of corrupt dealings and compromised officers.

  • Very Interesting to see the outcome of this court case. If she is a Lawyer, she used her lawyer training so well to steal. The impression that lawyers are liars and thieves. And as a women, she is setting a bad precedent for females who are aspiring to make it to the top of their respective careers. A professional lawyer committed this crime. She should be sent to Bomana to be schooled by her Law and Justice Sector comrades.

  • How can you steal again if you are ranked on the top position in the organization and getting the good benefits out from the governmental body which is been payed by the people who sweat out on the fields getting lausi k500 fortnightly and been cut because of the tax just to pay you.
    and yet the government is struggling to pay off depths while you are playing your crooks to steal from inside.
    have you have any off those thoughts flooding your mind????

    While thousands of people struggling to earn a living while some just sit in the office with aircon and tea on the table, drive on the expensive vehicle, sleep in a luxury house…So sad!!!!!!

    Hoping to have a GOD fearing people serving humanity throughout this beautiful nation.
    GOD bless PNG.

  • when woman are empowereed some take it for granted others use it for good …it goes back to their/our up bringing….i feel sad for the hard working mothers in the village, those doing ordinary jobs just to provide for their family while fats f#$ like her just relax behind the desk and do these to spoil the woman name….send her to Bomana.

  • How comes this pass through PSC vetting net, total day light robbery by this individual. Apart from this individual someone must be answerable to this, if it means investigating previous Housing Ministers. Get to the bottom of this. This is what the Marape/Stevens Government come into power to weed out. Selfish individuals greed, stealing from your own back yard. She must pay back all monies and must serve time too.

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