Officer jailed 8 years for stealing

 By HENRY PAMBUAI

A FORMER Bank South Pacific (BSP) officer who stole K688,000 from his employer has been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour by the Waigani National Court.

He was sentenced to three years and five years on different charges but the court ordered they be served concurrently.

In handing down his decision, Deputy Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika told David Poholi that his actions had burdened the “general public” as his former employer would have to recover, through bank charges, the K688,000 he conspired with another officer to defraud the bank.

Between Jan 2013 and June 2014, the offender was employed by BSP as a human resource benefits and remuneration officer at the Boroko branch. 

Poholi conspired with Michael Kou, a more senior officer, to cash unauthorised debit vouchers under the pretext of making payment for expatriate employees’ visa applications.

Sir Gibbs described the offence involving 134 transactions as a “well-planned and well-organised scheme” which took place over three years.

He told the accused that the offence had become “normal” to him although he may have hesitated during the first, second and third transactions.     

“Psychologists say that once you get into a habit, it becomes your character,” Sir Gibbs said.

“I hope you now realise this.”

Although K90,000 was cashed out by the prisoner, the judge said that there was no evidence as to how the stolen money was used.

“The bank is poorer by K688,000 with no chance of getting any of it back.”

He said despite Poholi being a first-time offender, who cooperated with police, the prisoner had betrayed “a great degree of trust” shown to him by BSP where money was dealt with everyday.

“Taking into account the mitigating factors and aggravating factors, I sentence the prisoner to three years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to defraud the bank,” he said.

“In relation to the charge of misappropriation, I impose a term of imprisonment of five years with hard labour.”