Official facing allegations of misuse of landowners’ funds

National

By BOURA GORUKILA
CENTRAL deputy administrator Edward Kila, facing allegations of misuse of funds belonging to the province’s LNG landowners, will return to court next week.
Police Prosecutor Chief Sgt Polon Koniu asked for Aug 6 (Thursday) so that he could get in touch with the informant and advise the court if a file was forthcoming.
Waigani Committal Court Magistrate Tracy Ganaii allowed the short adjournment and extended Kila’s bail.
Kila, 59, of Hula village in Rigo, is charged with a count each of abuse of office, misappropriation, conspire to defraud and false pretence.
As the deputy provincial administrator, he was also the chairman of the LNG Infrastructure Development Grant (IDG) Funds with the Infrastructure Development Unit and alleged to have between Jan 8, 2013 and July 4, 2018, authorised, approved and signed 71 cheques totalling K34,464,509.23 belonging to the LNG impacted areas – Porebada, Boera, Papa and Lealea.
Police alleged that the payments were made to companies and individuals without compliance.
Police say the MoU between the National Planning Department and Central government was to ensure effective implementation of infrastructure projects funded under the IDG trust funds.
It was also alleged that 2012 and 2013 governments allocated funds of K34,464,509.32 for IDG to the administration under the LNG Plant IDG Trust Account but were not properly managed. Other senior provincial administration officers are also under investigation.